TAXPAYERS FOOT PARTY BILL
AUSTRALIA’S ambassador in Washington, Joe Hockey slugged taxpayers more than $70,000 for a cocktail party to wine and dine US state governors.
Government documents, released under freedom of information laws, reveal the former Treasurer, who took up his $360,000-a-year job in 2016, spent tens of thousands of dollars of taxpayers cash on the swanky event in February.
More than half of the bill – $42,445 (AU) – was spent on entertainers, one of whom was the Territory’s Outback Wrangler Matt Wright, to keep the highprofile guests amused with a range of reptiles during the evening.
The latest revelations come just months after it was revealed Mr Hockey billed taxpayers almost $70,000 on alcohol, breakfasts and babysitters from July to December 2017.