Abbott clocks up the air miles
TONY Abbott racked up a travel bill that cost taxpayers more than $120,000 last year as he spent more than nine weeks jetsetting outside his Sydney electorate.
The Gold Coast Bulletin can reveal he spent almost $74,000 on domestic flights, nearly double the average of all MPs, and more than several ministers and shadow ministers.
He claimed travel allowances worth $24,311 for 65 nights away from Warringah, on Sydney’s north shore, for trips listed as “former prime minister – official business”.
This included election campaign appearances with conservative allies including Victorians Kevin Andrews and Michael Sukkar, Andrew Hastie in Perth, senior minis- ter Peter Dutton in Brisbane and ACT senator Zed Seselja.
Several Liberal MPs have raised concerns about Mr Abbott’s expenses, questioning his travel after he vowed to focus “on being the best possible member for Warringah”.
By comparison, John Howard spent just over $30,000 on domestic flights last year, while Julia Gillard charged taxpayers about $22,000 for trips around Australia.
Photos posted by Mr Abbott on Facebook show he used public money for trips that included major speeches, election campaigning and even a visit to a Tasmanian distillery that produces the world’s best single malt whisky.
Mr Abbott spent 11 Monday nights in Melbourne last year, claiming the cost of flights as well as the $438 nightly allowance. That included six Monday nights in a row during May and June.
Mr Abbott’s travel bill also included $10,000 in lease and fuel costs for a private-plated vehicle, and $7400 on chauffeured government cars.
His spokesman said: “He spent much of the election campaign last year supporting the re-election of colleagues and also travelled to spend time in indigenous communities and regional Australia.”
Mr Abbott also used travel allowances for his charity bike ride Pollie Pedal, which has raised more than $5 million.
Earlier this year, Mr Abbott said he was happy on the backbench because “it gives me the freedom to speak as I think best, and it gives me more time to be a very conscious local member”.