Labor MP Jim Chalmers flew to Lachlan Murdoch’s Christmas drinks
Jim Chalmers charged taxpayers more than $800 to travel to Sydney and attend Christmas drinks held by News Corp’s co-chairman Lachlan Murdoch.
Opposition Treasury spokesman Jim Chalmers charged taxpayers more than $800 to travel to Sydney and attend Christmas drinks held by News Corp’s co-chairman Lachlan Murdoch and his wife, Sarah.
Scott Morrison and Josh Frydenberg have faced criticism in recent days for taking a $5000 publicly funded jet to the exclusive Christmas drinks in December last year and returning to Canberra the next morning.
The Australian understands Dr Chalmers, widely considered to be a future Labor leader, also attended Mr Murdoch’s Christmas drinks at his Bellevue Hill home in Sydney’s east along with the Prime Minister, Treasurer and other high-profile guests. These included Australia’s richest man, Anthony Pratt, Harvey Norman co-founder Gerry Harvey and Football Federation chief David Gallop.
Dr Chalmers’ parliamentarians’ expenditure records show he charged taxpayers $827 to fly from Canberra to Sydney on December 5, where he attended Mr Murdoch’s drinks, and left for his home city of Brisbane for an undisclosed amount on the same night.
He has not publicly raised Mr Morrison or Mr Frydenberg’s attendance at the dinner or their use of a RAAF jet to attend.
Critics of Mr Morrison have attacked his attendance at last year’s Murdoch family drinks, including former prime minister Kevin Rudd, who has targeted News Corp Australia in a campaign to establish a royal commission into the media.
A spokesman for Anthony Albanese said on Sunday he could not confirm if the Opposition Leader had been invited by Mr Murdoch or if he attended the drinks.
Defence Department flight logs show Mr Morrison and Mr Frydenberg were on a $2153 RAAF jet flight to Sydney, where they attended the drinks.
The logs show they returned to Canberra the following day on an RAAF plane costing $2583.
Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton was also on both flights, but his attendance at the Murdoch family drinks has not been confirmed. Mr Dutton was approached for comment.
A spokesman for News Corp Australia declined to comment.
Government Services Minister Stuart Robert was also on the first flight to Sydney, but did not attend the drinks.
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