Skip to main contentSkip to navigation

Australian politicians' expenses

Latest news and views about Australian politicians' expenses from the Guardian

November 2024

  • Shadow Minister for Infrastructure Bridget McKenzie at a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra.

    Australian Politics
    Bridget McKenzie on the Qantas saga and conflicts of interest – Australian politics podcast

    Guardian Australia’s political editor Karen Middleton speaks with federal shadow transport and infrastructure minister Bridget McKenzie

March 2024

  • The coat of ams and the flagpole is seen at Australia’s Parliament House

    Rules on MPs’ ad spending relaxed to lessen public servants’ workload

  • Melbourne Cup

    MPs claiming thousands on taxpayer-funded trips for official parliamentary duties that coincide with sporting events

February 2024

  • A view across Byron Bay rooftops to the ocean

    Amid Australia’s housing crisis, why are taxpayers propping up the price of empty holiday homes?

    Maiy Azize
    The sheer number of Airbnb and Stayz short-stay rentals is a symptom of a system that’s unfair at its core

December 2023

  • Anthony Albanese

    Albanese government accused of ‘secrecy by stealth’ after key details removed from report on MPs’ expenses

    Expenses report, which previously included itemised spending, now has almost zero detail on how money actually spent in each category

September 2023

  • The deputy prime minister, Richard Marles, in parliament

    Greens accuse Richard Marles of not telling the truth in parliament over disclosure of VIP flights

    David Shoebridge says statement calls into question deputy PM’s claim that keeping flight details secret complies with the rules, but Marles insists all his travel accords with ‘the relevant guidelines and security procedures’

July 2023

  • Former federal MP Andrew Laming

    Andrew Laming being chased for further $8,000 by MP expenses watchdog over taxpayer-funded travel

    Former Liberal politician says travel is ‘clearly parliamentary’ and suggests he wants to take rulings to court for judicial review

June 2023

  • Parliament House in Canberra

    Transparency concerns as vast backlog of Australian MP expense claims unlikely to be cleared until mid-2024

  • An RAAF VIP jet

    Government use of VIP jets open to potential misuse as defence stops publishing passenger lists

May 2023

  • Nationals leader David Littleproud

    Nationals leader repays Gold Coast travel expense claim he made after he ‘sought the wrong advice’

    David Littleproud left parliament early in February to travel to the Gold Coast, three days after he and his spouse settled on a new apartment there

February 2023

  • Nationals Federal Leader David Littleproud

    Parliamentary travel rules under scrutiny after Gold Coast trip by Nationals leader

    While David Littleproud’s taxpayer-funded flight falls within parliamentary guidelines, the Gold Coast apartment he settled on three days prior to the flight has reignited discussion over defining official MP travel expenditure

January 2023

  • An RAAF C-130 Hercules at Fairbairn airbase in Canberra

    Public left in the dark on federal MPs’ use of taxpayer-funded VIP jets

    Key reporting systems designed to stop rorting have been offline for an extended period

May 2022

  • Andrew Laming

    Andrew Laming says watchdog has done ‘nothing’ since he refused to repay expenses it found he wrongly claimed

    Outgoing LNP politician rejects the finding, saying he will appeal and that he has not been contacted by anyone chasing him for payment

April 2022

  • Senator Matt Canavan

    Matt Canavan billed taxpayers for trip with family to Brisbane, where he spoke at CPAC dinner

    Conservative Political Action Conference promised to donate part of dinner’s proceeds to Canavan, who says there is no record of a donation and trip was legitimate parliamentary business
  • Craig Kelly

    Craig Kelly billed taxpayers to fly to Melbourne anti-lockdown rallies

    UAP leader defends the travel expenses, saying his activities at the protests were parliamentary business
  • Senator Amanda Stoker

    Liberal Amanda Stoker repays taxpayers $2,600 for travel with family through Whitsunday region

    Senator had parliamentary business on first half of trip but conceded rest of trip was ‘personal’ and paid invoice for costs plus penalty

March 2022

  • Liberal MP Andrew Laming

    Liberal MP Andrew Laming will refuse to repay travel expenses after audit finds $8,000 in invalid claims

    MP describes watchdog’s investigation as a ‘witch-hunt’, saying he disputes ‘every syllable’ of the report

October 2021

  • ABC journalist Louise Milligan

    No precedent for ABC’s $200k payment in Louise Milligan defamation dispute, auditor general says

    ABC made a ‘business decision’ to cover costs incurred by its reporter over tweets about Liberal MP Andrew Laming

July 2021

  • Illustration of parliament house

    Coalition’s proposed anti-corruption commission would have no power to investigate recent controversies

    Guardian analysis finds body lacks power and threshold too high to begin investigations, meaning car parks and sports rorts, and questions about expense claims would avoid scrutiny

March 2021

  • Minister for Home Affairs Peter Dutton

    Peter Dutton charged taxpayers $465 for flight on day he was special guest at private event

    Minister flew from Sydney to Maroochydore on same day he was to appear with Queensland Liberal leader at ‘long lunch’
About 173 results for Australian politicians' expenses
1234...