Jetsetting Bishop comes to party

FOREIGN Minister Julie Bishop charged taxpayers about $7000 for four trips to Adelaide coinciding with her older sister’s birthday.

A News Corp investigation has uncovered four occasions since 2010 when Ms Bishop flew to her home town about the same time as her sister MaryLou’s February birthday.

Ms Bishop has faced criticism for flying to Adelaide to celebrate her own birthday.

The Liberal deputy leader splurged almost $73,000 on a three-day Queensland trip with a group of foreign diplomats this year.

They wined and dined at an award-winning restaurant and 112 people spent a day exploring the Great Barrier Reef from a $26,890 chartered boat.

Ms Bishop said it was important to show how Australia was protecting the reef.

Ms Bishop has recently defended her use of entitlements to travel to events including AFL grand finals, the polo and the Spring Racing Carnival.

Questioned about trips coinciding with Ms Bishop’s sister’s birthday, a spokeswoman said: “The Foreign Minister does not schedule her official travel around birthdays.”

She said Ms Bishop had official meetings and events on each occasion and her travel “was within official guidelines”.

This year Ms Bishop charged taxpayers $1370 for a flight from Perth to Adelaide the day before her sister’s birthday.

It is understood she was guest speaker at a Chinese New Year event hosted by the Australian Chinese Medical Association and claimed a lesser travel allowance for when MPs stay with family or friends instead of in a hotel.

She also claimed the lesser allowance during trips in 2010 and 2011, and the full rate in 2012, and used points for her 2010 flight.