British Tory MP Douglas Hogg made world headlines in 2009 when he was exposed for claiming £2200 for “moat cleaning” as a political expense. Amid public uproar, he was forced to stand down while his claim was investigated. He insisted the claim was legitimate, but eventually repaid the money.
But Hogg's name was mud forever. In 2011, when British PM David Cameron proposed that Hogg be made a peer (after all, it's no fun owning a castle if you are not a Lord) the House of Lords Appointment Commission knocked it back – for fear that the reputation of the other Lords might be diminished.
I don't know of an Australian MP who owns a castle with a moat (though possibly this might change if mining billionaire Clive Palmer wins the seat of Fairfax) but they are not averse to stretching their parliamentary expense claims to weddings, funerals and, in the case of PM Tony Abbott, Ironman competitions. Total parliamentary claims reached $100 million last year.
Abbott recently repaid $1700 in taxpayer funds that he claimed for trips to the 2006 weddings of then Liberal MPs Sophie Mirabella and Peter Slipper.
ABC’s 7.30 revealed on October 9 that Abbott claimed thousands of dollars to take part in various sporting events in recent years:
• 2011: Port Macquarie Ironman competition; flights: $941; travel allowance: $349; total: $1290.
• 2012: “Pier to Pub” race in Lorne; flights: $1095; travel allowance: $349; total: $1444.
• 2012: Coffs Harbour cycle challenge; flights: $653; travel allowance: $349; total: $1002.
• 2012: Wagga Wagga “Lake to Lagoon” fun run; total: $515.
In 2010, Abbott also claimed $9400 in travel expenses while promoting his book Battlelines. However, the money was later repaid by the book's publisher, Melbourne University Press.
Abbott insists his sporting event claims are legitimate. In the case of the Port Macquarie Ironman, he says it was a political visit to a “marginal seat”. But how does this “marginal seat” excuse square with the rule that "in most circumstances only for parliamentary, electorate or official business, but not party business"?
Abbott decided to repay his claims for travel to Slipper’s and Mirabella’s weddings. Liberal MP Philip Ruddock, however, is refusing to repay the expense he claimed to attend the Slipper wedding.
While in opposition, the Coalition MPs ran an aggressive campaign against Slipper after he defected from the Liberals to become Speaker of the House under Julia Gillard’s government. The campaign involved allegations of sexual harassment and expense claims for travel to several wineries in 2010. Not surprisingly, Slipper is calling them < ahref="http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/peter-slipper-slams-breathtaking-double-standards-over-mps-expense-entitlements-20131007-2v3gp.html">outrageous hypocrites.
Meanwhile, Attorney-General George Brandis and agriculture minister and Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce are sticking by their claim of about $3000 between them to attend the wedding of right-wing radio shockjock Mike Smith.
It gets worse.
By way of mitigation for the collective $20,000 Coalition MPs claimed for attending weddings, Joyce said a wedding expense claim of $12,000 by him, foreign minister Julie Bishop and MP Teresa Gambaro for attending a lavish wedding of the daughter of a wealthy Indian businessman in Hyderabad had been reduced because Australia's biggest billionaire Gina Rinehart had flown them there in her private jet.
Joyce, Bishop and Gambaro then only had to claim their airfare back to Australia after what they said was a “study tour”.
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