Revealed: The cost of Qld MPs' private stays in Parliament House

Queensland Parliament's accommodation honesty system faces scrutiny as 13 MPs rack up $8073 in private stay tax charges while their identities remain secret.

The parliamentary annexe has undergone renovations.

​Thirteen Queensland state MPs have stayed an average of three nights each in their parliamentary accommodation outside of business needs in the past year — leaving taxpayers with a $8073 fringe benefits tax bill.

But Queenslanders can’t know which MPs or how many days each they stayed in the Parliamentary Annexe for personal reasons as the declarations are confidential and a parliamentary committee voted to keep it that way.

This was revealed after the Opposition, on the first day of budget estimates, sought to understand how many nights Premier David Crisafulli and Sports Minister Tim Mander had declared​ as personal use.

Almost all of Queensland’s 93 MPs are provided with accommodation in the newly renovated Annexe for overnight stays during sitting weeks.

But any overnight stay for personal use, or by a family member, triggers a fringe benefits tax liability and must be declared to Queensland parliament.

Clerk of the parliament Neil Laurie told Monday’s Estimates session 13 MPs stayed in the annexe accommodation for personal reasons in the 12 months to March 31 this year.

This cost $8073 in FBT, with Mr Laurie acknowledging he would “probably get a tax bill” if the Australian Taxation Office found MPs or their families were staying at the Annexe for personal reasons and had not declared it.

Minister Tim Mander has reportedly stayed at the annexe after separating from his wife.

The Opposition asked about media reports Mr Mander had lived in the Annexe for three months after separating from his wife.

Opposition Whip Mark Ryan asked Mr Laurie if Mr Mander had “reported his personal affairs to you that he is using the annex accommodation as his usual place of residence or for personal or private reasons?”

Mr Laurie said answering the question would be a slippery slope.

“I am not going to disclose at a hearing conversations that may have taken place with individual members,” he said.

Mr Ryan asked Mr Laurie if he was aware MPs were staying in the annexe and failing to declare it. The Opposition also asked how many nights of personal use of the Annexe Mr Crisafulli had declared.

“We don’t monitor members’ use of their bedrooms, therefore it is a default that it is an honesty system,” Mr Laurie said.

Mr Mander and Mr Crisafulli declined to comment.

There is no suggestion of wrongdoing by Mr Crisafulli or Mr Mander.

Mr Laurie said all declarations were made to him confidentially and – while he had the list of 13 MPs who stayed in the annexe for personal use – the parliamentary committee voted not to release it.

Speaker Pat Weir said he was unaware of wrongdoing.

“I do not walk the corridors checking who’s staying in which rooms,” he said.

Originally published as Revealed: The cost of Qld MPs' private stays in Parliament House