David Littleproud partly pays back expenses after Gold Coast trip ‘mistake’

The Nationals leader has partly re-paid taxpayers for a trip to the Gold Coast, days after settling on a $1.375m luxury apartment.

David Littleproud says he sought the “wrong advice” from the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority about a weekend visit to the Gold Coast where he had bought a $1.375m beachfront apartment. Picture: Gary Ramage/NCA NewsWire

Nationals leader David Littleproud has partly repaid expenses he claimed for a trip to the Gold Coast, days after he and his wife settled on a luxury $1.375m beachfront apartment.

Following an Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority audit into Mr Littleproud’s travel claims for a flying weekend visit to the tourist strip, including business-class flights and COMCAR expenses, he said he had “mistakenly sought the wrong advice”.

Mr Littleproud – whose Queensland electorate of Maranoa takes in the country towns of Charleville, Cunnamulla, Dalby, Roma and Kingaroy – confirmed he had paid back some of the expenses, despite previously defending the merits of the trip.

Under IPEA rules, MPs can claim travel expenses if they are related to the “dominant purpose of conducting the member’s parliamentary business”.

Mr Littleproud claimed the expenses after leaving parliament early on February 9 and travelling business class from Canberra to the Gold Coast. He returned to Canberra on February 12.

“I became aware that I had mistakenly sought the wrong advice from IPEA before travelling home to Queensland to see my family between sitting weeks in Canberra, incorrectly re-entering Queensland via Gold Coast Airport rather than Brisbane Airport,” Mr Littleproud told The Australian on Tuesday.

“To remove doubt on any part of that trip I made the decision to pay for all of my return travel to Queensland for that weekend.”

On December 12, Mr Littleproud and wife Amelia purchased the apartment in the Peppers Soul Surfers Paradise building. Shortly after the property settled, the pair travelled to Surfers Paradise.

Peppers Soul building in Surfers Paradise where David Littleproud and wife Amelia purchased a $1.375m apartment. Picture: Supplied

Mr Littleproud, whose private residence is listed as Ryeford, says the Gold Coast apartment was purchased as an investment to be rented out by Accor.

The Australian in March revealed the IPEA had launched an audit into his expenses. Mr Littleproud on Tuesday rejected claims by party sources the IPEA had expanded its audit and was investigating expenses associated with a January trip to Western Australia. During the extended WA trip, Mr Littleproud conducted a series of television interviews.

“My personal visit to family in Western Australia in January was privately funded and no travel claims were made. I am therefore unaware of any interest IPEA has in this private trip,” he said.

Amid rumblings in Nationals ranks about Mr Littleproud’s trips, The Australian can reveal that since May last year the Nationals leader has resisted allowing his deputy, Perin Davey, to act as leader.

With some Nationals insiders querying why Senator Davey has not taken the reins more often, Mr Littleproud said his deputy would take charge in July.

“I’m yet to take any substantive leave since the election but on occasions where I have been absent Perin has stood in for me and will do so for an extended period in July when I intend to take a more extensive break.”

Despite asking questions about how many days Senator Davey had acted as leader, The Australian was told only that she had filled in on a “few occasions”.

Nationals leader David Littleproud with deputy Perin Davey and Senate leader Bridget McKenzie after they were elected in May last year. Picture: Mick Tsikas/AAP Image

A spokesman for Senator Davey said “on the few occasions that Mr Littleproud has been unavailable or on leave since the election, she has been the acting leader of the party, including for shadow cabinet meetings and other party briefings”.

“As is convention, whenever the leader takes leave or is otherwise unavailable, Senator Davey will step up as acting leader into the future and the two work closely to ensure continuity for the party room,” Senator Davey’s spokesman said.

In March, a Department of Finance spokeswoman said the IPEA was ­“responsible for administering eligible domestic travel expenses and allowances claimed by parliamentarians under the Parliamentary Business Resources Act”.

“Members are personally responsible and accountable for use of public resources. Expenses claimed must meet all obligations under the PBR Act, including being for the dominant purpose of conducting the member’s parliamentary business,” the spokeswoman said.

Parliamentary travel guidelines were tightened in 2017 after Liberal MP Sussan Ley charged taxpayers for a trip to the Gold Coast where she bought a $795,000 apartment. The guidelines state that within Australia, MPs can claim expenses under a range of obligations including “where travel is undertaken and related expenses claimed are for the ‘dominant purpose’ of conducting parliamentary business”.

Other obligations include MPs acting “ethically and in good faith when using parliamentary business resources”.