The Nationals leader claimed taxpayer-funded cash for a trip to the Gold Coast, just days after buying a luxury Surfers Paradise apartment worth $1.4 million.
David Littleproud breached parliamentary rules when he spent flights to the Gold Coast and took a government-funded taxi service to Surfers Paradise on February 9 last year.
The Maranoa MP and his wife Amelia purchased a luxury two-bedroom apartment with panoramic beach views at the Peppers Soul Surfers Paradise tower in December 2022, with the deal ending on February 6, 2023, three days before their trip, he reported. The Australian.
Littleproud, who has managed the Nationals since 2022, ultimately paid $2,009.76 for three flights and a COMCAR trip from Surfers Paradise to Gold Coast Airport in March last year.
But an investigation by the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority Assurance Review found that “parliamentary business was not the dominant purpose” of Littleproud’s trip.
However, the parliamentary spending watchdog said no further action was necessary because Littleproud paid the costs.
David Littleproud (pictured) broke parliamentary rules when he spent flights to the Gold Coast and took a government-funded taxi service to Surfers Paradise on February 9 last year.
The guidelines allow MPs to claim expenses for a variety of different reasons, including “where travel is undertaken and the related expenses claimed are for the ‘principal purpose’ of conducting parliamentary business”.
On Tuesday night, Littleproud said he just made the mistake of flying back to the Gold Coast instead of Brisbane.
“The only thing I did wrong was arriving at the wrong port… and I admit that and I put my hand up, but I wasn’t aware that that was wrong,” Littleproud said. News from heaven.
“But I didn’t claim any nights, I wasn’t on the taxpayer, I came home to be with my family, which is what most MPs do… and then not only did I pay what was owed to the taxpayer, I paid more because I didn’t want there to be any guesswork.
The revelation comes after Queensland Premier Steven Miles sparked outrage for chartering two private planes to travel simultaneously to the same destination, just days after passing a bill mandating a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions. .
Thousands and their staff flew on one plane, while Police Minister Mark Ryan and Police Commissioner Steve Gollschewski used another for a trip to Townsville to hold a press conference on youth crime.
The private jets, which cost about $6,500 an hour to rent, left Brisbane within 15 minutes of each other on Monday afternoon for a 2,800 kilometer round trip.
Miles and his staff flew in an Embraer Phenom 300, while Ryan and Gollschewski traveled in a Cessna Citation CJ2+, the mail reports.
The Maranoa MP and his wife Amelia purchased a luxury two-bedroom apartment with panoramic beach views at the Peppers Soul Surfers Paradise tower (pictured) in December 2022, with the deal ending on February 6, 2023, three days before your trip.
After holding the press conference touting new measures to tackle Queensland’s youth crime epidemic, the trio returned to their separate planes and flew to Cairns.
Miles appeared on breakfast television on Tuesday morning before the trio returned to Townsville and traveled down the coast to Hervey Bay.
The planes finally returned to Brisbane on Tuesday afternoon with plans for the Prime Minister to return to Cairns on Wednesday.
A government spokeswoman said commercial flights were used where possible but they were not suitable for such a trip and it was important for him to visit regional centres.
“Labor is a government for all of Queensland, not just the south-east, so it is vital that the premier, ministers and commissioner travel to those regions,” he said.