HEY BIG SPENDERS
The $28 million loophole our pollies don't want to talk about
ANALYSIS by NewsRegional shows federal politicians exploited a loophole to spend extra funds to bolster their election chances.
SENATOR Barry O’Sullivan spent more than 80 per cent of his 2016 communications claim during the election campaign.
The Toowoomba-based conservative senator claimed $57,475 during the election campaign, and $11,388 for the rest of the year.
There is no suggestion the claims are outside the entitlement rules. There are no rules against parliamentarians using the printing and communications entitlement during election campaigns.
But experts have called for restrictions to be placed to stop politicians using taxpayer money to advertise themselves to voters, an advantage any challenger does not have.
Senator O’Sullivan did not respond to questions on his use of the entitlement.
There was significant turnover of the region’s politicians at the 2016 election. Ian Macfarlane and Bruce Scott, two of the region’s best known representatives, resigned before the election and did not use the entitlement during the campaign.
Two Queensland parliamentarians who lost their seats did not spend a cent on printing or communications outside the election campaign.
Former senator Glenn Lazarus and ex-LNP MP Wyatt Roy only used the allowance during the six-week campaign period, with Mr Lazarus claiming almost $100,000 in that period. Mr Roy spent about $23,000 during the campaign and none before the election was called.