McVeigh flight costs reach more than $17k
Quarterly expense list released
GROOM MP John McVeigh spent more than $17,000 on domestic flights in a four month period.
The Turnbull Government minister’s expenses for the final quarter of 2017 have been revealed, with travel, accommodation, office rent and administration costs totalling nearly $100,000.
Mr McVeigh’s flights between September and December last year, which featured trips from Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport to Sydney, Adelaide, Perth, Canberra and Orange, were worth $17,505.
The 23 trips averaged $761 a flight, with the most expensive visit, from Brisbane to Perth, costing $2033.
On top of the domestic travel, Mr McVeigh also got the taxpayer to cover his $460 diplomatic official passport, in relation to a parliamentary delegation to New Zealand in July.
His accommodation travelling allowance during the final quarter of the year, which covered 19 nights in seven different cities or towns, was mainly
used with his role as the chair of the Committee on Regional Development and Decentralisation.
His new portfolio as Regional
Development Minister only became effective from December 20.
Mr McVeigh said his expenditure was appropriate considering his roles and responsibilities in the Government.
“I take the expenditure of all public funds extremely seriously and always work within the appropriate guidelines,” he said.
“These allowances for the entire office, as duly reported, include all travel costs for all staff, all other staff costs, communications and all office consumables and expenses – including costs such as compulsory government (not personal) passports.”
Mr McVeigh’s biggest expense was the cost of renting his offices, worth $32,119.