Jacinta Price being investigated for 14th potential misuse of expenses

Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, the Coalition rising star charged with reducing government waste, has had to repay expenses she improperly claimed from the taxpayer 13 times totalling almost $11,000 and is being investigated again for potentially misusing her federally funded car to attend her husband’s concerts.

Price’s husband, Colin Lillie, is a Scottish Australian country singer who describes himself as a “soul that sings his truth” and who featured in ads against the Indigenous Voice to parliament alongside his wife but typically plays modest gigs at country venues.

Jacinta Nampijinpa Price and husband Colin Lillie in a No campaign video. Credit: Screenshot

He performed on February 17 at Tarago’s Loaded Dog Hotel, about 70 kilometres north-east of Canberra, and Queanbeyan’s Tourist Hotel just outside the city before playing at the Camden Hotel on Sydney’s south-western fringe the next day.

MPs such as Price, who is the Coalition’s spokesperson for government efficiency, are provided taxpayer-funded leased vehicles for parliamentary business. The rules state that if an MP uses that car for anything “other than for the dominant purpose of your parliamentary business ... you will be required to repay any related expense to the Commonwealth”.

In a statement, Price’s spokeswoman said: “the senator did utilise the self-drive vehicle to travel to the events on 17 and 18 February 2024 and is in discussion with the Department of Finance to determine whether any rectification is required”. The spokeswoman said the senator initiated the examination of her recent expense claim, asking Finance to tell her if it was legitimate.

If Price is found to have breached the rules and forced to repay the taxpayer, it will be her 14th time in the three years since she was elected a senator for the Northern Territory, putting her practices at odds with her role in the Elon Musk-inspired portfolio designed to root out unnecessary government spending.

In the period of April to June 2023, she had to repay a $215.26 claim she had made for employee travel, while in the July to September 2023 period, she had to repay seven claims totalling $5825.28 for travel allowance, employee travel and unscheduled commercial transport.

In the October to December 2023 quarter, Price had to repay a $1535.22 travel claim for a member of her staff, in July-September she had to repay $1472 in travel allowance claims, while in October-December 2024 she had to repay $1878.82 in travel allowance and office facilities claims.

In all, Price has repaid claims totalling $10,926.08. As an opposition spokesperson, Price is paid between $280,000 and $292,054 a year, along with various allowances and superannuation.

Asked why she has paid back so many claims, a spokeswoman said: “The senator is diligent and proactive in reviewing her travel claims and expenses. Evidence of previous repayments is evidence that the senator takes very seriously her responsibility to ensure the proper use of taxpayer funds and proactively rectifies any mistakes if and when she has become aware of them”.

Although the federal election campaign has not yet formally begun, March has started with a drumbeat of stories on politicians’ tactics, history and finances, including an LNP candidate for Townsville who apologised for comparing homosexuality to cancer in 2015 and a stoush over signage in the Sydney electorate of Wentworth.

Price first met Lillie, her second husband, in 2008 in a bar in Alice Springs where he was performing, and he recognised her from her role on a children’s television show, Yamba’s Playtime.

The senator is a regular at her husband’s gigs, particularly in Canberra, jokingly describing herself as his “roadie” on social media and has appeared on stage with him at times to sing alongside Lillie, who describes himself as a “Scozzie”, or Scottish-Australian.

On December 14, 2022, the couple flew to Canberra for three nights when the senator had to return to Canberra for a one-day end-of-year sitting.

Lillie’s taxpayer-funded return flight to Canberra was within the rules, which allow a partner up to nine business class reunion flights where the dominant purpose is “facilitating the family life of the parliamentarian”.

While there, Lillie played as the supporting act for Alex Lloyd, the Australian singer known for his 2001 Hottest-100 winning hit Amazing, at a concert in Canberra on December 16, which Price also attended.

Price’s spokeswoman said the senator had travelled to Canberra for parliamentary duties “including attending sittings in the Senate on 15 December 2022 and participating in meetings with her colleagues and others”.

Colin Lillie, Jacinta Nampijinpa Price and Alex Lloyd (centre) at the December 2022 gig in Canberra.Credit: Facebook

In May 2023, Lillie had to cancel his “Back on the Beard” national tour because of a lack of ticket sales. But while shows in Western Australia, NSW, Tasmania and Victoria were scrapped, he was still able to play one gig on Friday, May 12, at Smith’s Alternative Bookshop in Canberra.

Price was in Canberra for the federal budget that week and her spokeswoman said: “The dominant purpose of Mr Lillie’s travel to Canberra in May 2023 was to facilitate the senator’s family life”, which is within the rules for family reunion travel entitlements.

As recently as March 3, Price and Lillie joined Nationals MP Sam Birrell on stage to sing at a party event in Echuca, Victoria during a trip that also took her to the regional cities of Bendigo and Warrnambool.

Price’s spokeswoman said that “no taxpayer resources were used for Mr Lillie to travel to Victoria in March 2025”.

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