$8.7m election leg-up

Incumbency advantage: Pollies using print budget for re-election

FEDERAL politicians exploited a loophole to spend an extra $8.7 million to bolster their election chances.

The windfall was on top of more than $62 million taxpayers paid politicians for first preference votes they received.

A NewsRegional analysis of all 280 MP and senator expense claims lodged after the 2016 election found sitting politicians used a taxpayer-funded printing and communications fund to increase their public visibility and increase their chance at re-election.

The boon was not available to those challenging sitting politicians and was on top of $19 million claimed at the two prior elections.

It is an issue neither relevant Federal Government or opposition representative would comment on.

Former Liberal leader John Hewson dubbed the practice “an abuse” and called for the allowance to be capped during campaign periods.

“The intent of the allowance is pretty clear – it’s to communicate with your electorate during the term. If you’ve got to catch up during the campaign period then you haven’t done your job,” he said.

Nick Xenophon Team Senator Rex Patrick said misusing taxpayer funds was inappropriate and must stop.

“It needs to be flexible, but there is a difference between an important issue and using taxpayer money to get elected,” he said.

The fund is meant to allow politicians to communicate with constituents throughout the parliamentary term.

But NewsRegional’s investigation has revealed about half of all parliamentarians claimed between 60 and 100 per cent of their entire 2016 allowance during the six weeks of the election campaign.

There are no rules against using the printing and communications expense during the election despite it giving sitting MPs a pot of money to raise their profile – an option challengers do not have.

Current rules only prohibit politicians from using the expense to fund how-to-vote cards or soliciting for donations.

A 2016 independent report suggested increasing transparency about election-period claims to reduce misuse during election campaigns.

The government-commissioned report, An Independent Parliamentary Entitlements System, recommended against an outright ban on using the allowance for “electioneering”.

It said a ban would be “difficult and arguably unnecessary” to implement as “a parliamentarian’s performance of his or her duties will necessarily accrue some benefit to his or her candidacy”.

A 2010 review recommended parliamentarians be banned from using the entitlement during campaign periods.

Dr Hewson, who was opposition leader from 1990 to 1994, said using the allowance during election campaigns should be capped. Mr Patrick suggested a monthly cap.

Special Minister for State Mathias Cormann and shadow special minister for state Don Farrell declined to answer questions.