Eye-watering cost of desk for MPs revealed

Taxpayers have forked out more than $35,000 on a single sit-stand desk designed as a ‘prototype’ for parliamentarians by the Department of Parliamentary Services

CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA - NewsWire Photos - February 24 2025: President of the Australian Senate, Sue Lines appears at the Finance and Public Administration Estimates at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Taxpayers have forked out more than $35,000 on a single sit-stand desk designed as a “prototype” for parliamentarians by the Department of Parliamentary Services which conceded such a spend may not be sustainable in the long term and that the cost of the furniture was “large”.

The revelation comes as a staff member from the the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet on Thursday published a post on X claiming the government was in caretaker mode, when the election was still yet to be called.

PMC officials confirmed there had “obviously been an error” and that a staff member had likely pressed “publish” rather than “save” on a post that was live for four minutes before being removed.

It comes as DPS was also grilled on its use of taxpayer dollars, after being found in February to have spent $20,000 on a single custom desk for former deputy secretary Cate Saunders, whose $300,000 exit package is being investigated by the National Anti-Corruption Commission.

Liberal senator Jane Hume said she was shocked when DPS confirmed on Thursday it had spent more than $35,000 on a separate sit-stand desk commissioned for MPs.

“I just want to get this right. Over $35,000 … was paid for one desk?” Senator Hume asked the department.

DPS secretary Jaala Hinchcliffe confirmed that was the case.

“The current prototype desk is here in the on-site storage (in parliament),” she said.

Senator Hume extrapolated that giving just half of parliamentarians such a custom desk would come to $4m.

Ms Hinchcliffe said “these are issues that we’re thinking through”.

“I agree … that the numbers for the cost of this are large, and we will need to look through our capital works program at issues like this to see if that cost is something that’s sustainable, and does it provide something members and senators want and need,” she said.

Ms Hinchcliffe said there had been requests for sit-stand desks in the past.

Labor used Tuesday’s budget to unveil “top-up” tax cuts to give Australians $5 a week extra next year, while the Coalition promised to save the average car owner $14 at the bowser by halving the fuel excise immediately after taking government.

The election is widely expected to be called on Friday, with the premature post on X by PMC fuelling speculation that the Prime Minister would head to Government House at the end of the week.