HOW OUR POLLIES ARE SPENDING YOUR MONEY

NT Federal pollies spend a million bucks

A TERRITORY Federal politician spent more than $43,000 of taxpayers’ money on a new office fitout, moving her office from the city to the northern suburbs — just four months before the Federal election this year.

Natasha Griggs said this week the fitout fees were for the relocation of the Solomon Electorate Office from the Smith St Mall to Trower Rd, and the move was scheduled regardless of the outcome of the September election.

The information is contained in the Parliamentarians’ Expenditure on Entitlements for the first six months of this year.

The document also shows that almost $ 1 million was spent between the Territory’s four Federal politicians between January 1 and June 30 this year for office facilities, administration costs, travel, publication, fitouts and communications. This does not include MPs’ personal salaries or those of their staff.

Travel made up a huge part of this spend with $212,560 spent between the four MPs on travel.

Lingiari federal Labor MP Warren Snowdon was the biggest traveller spending almost $44,000 on overseas travel to France and Turkey to attend Anzac Day services in Gallipoli. At the time he held the ministerial portfolios of Veteren’s Affairs, Defence Science and Indigenous Health.

More than $ 100,000 was spent between the four just on printing and sending out letters and flyers during this time — coinciding with the lead-up to this year’s federal election campaign. Mr Snowdon and Ms Griggs were the highest spenders of printing and communications, while former Labor Senator Trish Crossin, who was controversially dumped by then Prime Minister Julia Gillard before the election, spent the least at under $5000.

The financials also show that Ms Griggs travelled to the South Pacific’s Norfolk Island with her husband where she also spent $130 on a year-long subscription of the local newspaper, The Norfolk Islander. Ms Griggs said she attended as a member of the Joint Standing Committee on National Capital and External Territories, where a number of hearings were conducted.

‘‘As Norfolk Island is an external Territory, residents may enrol to vote in the Federal electorate of Solomon.’’ She said The Norfolk Islander reports on issues on the island and politics in Solomon.