Rebel senator racks up $50k on family travel

Independent Senator Fatima Payman has claimed $52,228 in taxpayer-funded family reunion travel since she arrived in Parliament.

Independent Senator Fatima Payman has claimed $52,228 in taxpayer-funded family reunion travel since she arrived in Parliament two years ago, racking up a bill that’s more than almost any other MP in Parliament.

The newlywed Senator has emerged as one of Labor’s biggest spenders on family reunion travel in the Parliament according to an analysis of the latest Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority (IPEA) data by news.com.au.

In one instance, IPEA records suggest Senator Payman flew five family members to Canberra in September 2022 and flew six family members home to Perth two days later.

The only other MP who spends more is Queenslander Andrew Willcox, the LNP Member for Dawson, who spent $58,831. Also included in the top five were Patrick Gorman, Member for Perth, who spent $45,786 (ALP), Tania Lawrence, Member for Hasluck, spent $41,571 and Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, Senator for the NT, $37,957 (LNP).

Senator Payman quit the ALP on Thursday in a blaze of publicity and some bad blood with her young staff, some of whom have been forced to engage with Parliament’s new human resources division to finalise their exit from the office with several staff offering their resignations.

Senator Fatima Payman has emerged as one of Labor’s biggest spenders on family travel. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

However, it now appears that Senator Payman has been keeping her tight-knit family close to offer her care and support as she claimed intimidation tactics within the ALP.

Australia’s first hijab-wearing Senator, she is an intensely private politician who has moved to shield her husband, a Labor staffer, from the public glare, even posting wedding pictures in February that obscured his face.

News.com.au revealed on Thursday that her husband is Jacob Stokes, a ministerial staffer for the West Australian Government.

Senator Payman praised her husband in her maiden speech to Parliament confirming the taxpayer-funded Labor staffer had worked on her campaign.

“Jacob Stokes—congratulations on running the best Senate campaign Australia has ever seen, with a great deal of strategic direction and management,’’ she said.

“Thank you for putting up with my highs and lows on the campaign trail.”

Her loyal husband remains active on social media posts where he’s been backing his wife and offering his support for Palestine.

Under the rules, a parliamentarian’s family may travel at Commonwealth expense to accompany or join the parliamentarian when they are travelling within Australia away from their home base to conduct parliamentary business.

Senator Payman gives her first speech in the Senate at Parliament House in Canberra in September 2022. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Family includes the parliamentarian’s spouse or nominee, dependent children and other eligible family member/s nominated by the parliamentarian.

It’s not clear from Senator Payman’s records who is flying and which family members she is reuniting with although it is believed one of those travelling is her husband

Family reunion travel can be accessed in situations where the MP is travelling for the dominant purpose of conducting parliamentary business, and the family member/s travels to accompany or join the parliamentarian, and travel is for the dominant purpose of facilitating the family life of the parliamentarian.

Travel to Canberra and within the local area allows family members to travel between the family member’s or the parliamentarian’s home base and Canberra or places in the State or Territory for which the parliamentarian is a senator, or in which their electorate is located.

The annual cost-based limit is the value of nine business class return airfares to Canberra for the parliamentarian’s spouse or nominee, plus three economy class return airfares to Canberra for each dependent child.

Separate rules apply for Australia-wide travel, which has a trip-based limit.

This may be used for family members to travel anywhere in Australia to accompany or join the parliamentarian when they are on parliamentary business.

The annual trip-based limit is a total of three return business class airfares in total - not each family member - on scheduled commercial transport.

Family members may travel to and from the airport with the parliamentarian by COMCAR - the car-with-driver transport service provided to parliamentarians.

Senator Payman’s own records include flights for family members, taxis, COMCAR travel and hire cars in Canberra for family members.

News.com.au has contacted Senator Payman for comment.

Family travel expenses charged to the taxpayer

Data from 1 July 2022 until 31 December 2023 - all provided by IPEA

1) Andrew Willcox MP, Member for Dawson, spent $58,831 (LNP),

2) Fatima Payman, Independent Senator for WA, spent $52,228 (ALP),

3) Patrick Gorman, Member for Perth, spent $45,786 (ALP),

4) Tania Lawrence, Member for Hasluck, spent $41,571 ,

5) Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, Senator for the NT, $37,957, (LNP).

By comparison Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, with a wife and three kids, spent $22,052 and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese with one son and a fiancée, spent $23,240.