Anthony Albanese has charged Australian taxpayers a staggering $1 million in just three months for everything from international travel to office supplies.
The Prime Minister, nicknamed “Airbus Albo” due to his frequent overseas trips, charged Australians a total of $298,899 for overseas trips to Asia, the UK, the Middle East, Europe and the Pacific Islands between October and December 2023.
Records released by the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority show one of the travel claims was for a seven-day trip to Malaysia, Fiji, Sri Lanka, the US, Singapore, Japan and India for the annual Australia-India Leaders Summit.
The Australians paid $98,347 for the trip, which took place between March 8 and 15, 2023, but was booked in the final quarter of last year. The bulk of the cost was for land transport, which accounted for $48,149 of the total amount.
Other trips included a $96,712 trip to the Philippines, India, Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates for three separate summits (the ASEAN-Australia Summit, the East Asia Summit and the G20 Leaders’ Summit) between August 29 and September 11.
Albanese also rubbed shoulders with US President Joe Biden in October, attended King Charles’ coronation and the G7 Summit in May, and flew across the ditch to meet Jacinda Ardern in July, costing a total of $28,297.
The expense records also included a mysterious $1,000 “accident excess” payment incurred in August for car-related costs.
But by far the most expensive claim was for domestic and international travel for 62 of its staff, worth $660,701, while its constituency office in central Sydney (which is currently swarming with protesters) cost $30,202 for the October to December quarter.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (pictured with his dog, Toto) collected more than $1 million from taxpayers in the last quarter of 2023
Anthony Albanese and his partner Jodi Haydon are pictured arriving in Delhi for the G20 Summit in September.
Daily Mail Australia revealed on Wednesday that Albanese’s office in Marrickville has not been used since January after pro-Palestine protesters set up camp outside.
Staff have been told the office cannot operate as it should due to security reasons.
The Australians are estimated to have paid around $70,000 for the unused office alone in 2024 as Albanese refuses to evict the activists from the property.
Albanese’s trip to the United States in October was his ninth since his 2022 election victory, and his 19th international trip in 19 months.
“The relationship between Australia and the United States is very important,” Albanese told reporters upon his arrival in Washington.
‘In today’s turbulent world, it is a relationship that provides security and stability, based on our shared values and our standing as great democratic nations working together to advance those values throughout the Indo-Pacific and around the world.’
He was invited because Biden had previously cancelled a trip to Sydney at the last minute.
Mr. Albanese had tried to time his visit to Washington so he could attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in San Francisco and head to China to meet President Xi Jinping.
Anthony Albanese and his partner Jodie Haydon are pictured, left, with US President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill
The Prime Minister is pictured, right, at the coronation of King Charles in May 2023.
However, the suggested dates did not fit with Mr Biden’s schedule, so Mr Albanese ended up making four overseas trips in one month.
He spent just a few days at home after the US trip before leaving again for a historic meeting with President Xi Jinping in China, becoming the first premier since 2016 to do so.
During his trip to the ASEAN-Australia Summit in September, the Prime Minister pledged almost $100 million to boost trade and investment ties with Southeast Asia in a bid to reduce Australia’s economic dependence on China.
Other expenses in the last quarter of 2023 included $24,541 for automobile-related expenses, including the $1000 accident excess on August 2.
Office administration cost $87,532, with $75,243 in printing, along with $12,289 in office supplies, which included $138 in wreaths and $2,439 in three flags.
A spokesman for the Prime Minister told Daily Mail Australia that all expenses claimed by Albanese were within the rules.
Anthony Albanese attended the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit last year
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Anthony Albanese are pictured together during the G20 summit in New Delhi, India, in September.
“The Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority has strict rules,” the spokesman said.
‘These rules have been followed at all times.’
Earlier this week, Daily Mail Australia revealed that Opposition Leader Peter Dutton charged taxpayers $63,015 for three private jet flights during a two-day cost-of-living trip to regional towns that are “struggling”.
Mr Dutton also charged taxpayers $32,740 for a five-day trip to New Delhi for the India-Australia Strategic Partnership summit, at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Other expenses included $36,977 for scheduled transportation between major cities, $10,389 in travel expenses for 28 nights, $3,848 for automobile-related expenses, and an exorbitant $116,911 in printing and communications.
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