Former minister Sussan Ley lands Russia junket

Sussan Ley will embark on a taxpayer-funded trip to Russia just six months after being forced out of cabinet.

‘If anyone else wants to go on my ­behalf I’d be happy to let them,’ says Sussan Ley.

Dumped minister Sussan Ley will embark on a taxpayer-funded trip to Russia just six months after being forced out of cabinet over travel rort allegations.

The Albury-based Liberal will represent the Turnbull government at a four-day gathering of parliamentarians in St Petersburg in October, the Herald Sun reports today. In 2014 then Speaker Bronwyn Bishop, attending the meeting of the Inter-Parliamentary Union while campaigning to be its president, racked up a bill of almost $90,000. Ms Ley stood down as health minister in January after revelations led to an ­inquiry into her expenses claims for trips to the Gold Coast, including one during which she bought a $795,000 apartment “on ­impulse”.

Ms Ley told the Herald Sun she was going to Russia only because chief whip Nola Marino was ­unable to, and had asked her to represent parliament. Ms Ley said: “If anyone else wants to go on my ­behalf I’d be happy to let them. I have never been on an overseas delegation before in my time in parliament, and the schedule is dawn to dusk.”