Australian diplomats have come under fire after spending nearly $20,000 on a didgeridoo performance to open a promotional sporting event overseas.
The Australian Consulate in Chennai, southeast India, spent the sum to send an indigenous didgeridoo soloist to the South Asian nation for an event in May to celebrate the upcoming Summer of Cricket.
Documents provided to the Coalition under the Freedom of Information Act and viewed by the The Telegraph newspaperrevealed that they spent a whopping $19,926 on a performance by internationally renowned musician Ronald Murray.
Mr Murray’s flights, accommodation and travel cost $8,840, while his performance fee, including taxes and travel, came to a staggering $11,086, understood to have been funded by taxpayers’ money.
The “extreme” spending was approved by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade just five days before the event, which was allocated a budget of $40,000.
An email from a DFAT official involved in securing Mr Murray’s performance justified his presence as “a showcase of Australia’s indigenous culture”.
Attendees were also treated to a physical tasting of Australian wines, lamb and pavlova – a meal many taxpayers could only dream of amid the current cost of living crisis.
Coalition waste spokesman James Stevens criticised the entertainment bill as an “extreme amount of money to spend on a short musical performance”.
The Australian Consulate in Chennai spent nearly $20,000 on a performance by Ronald Murray (pictured)
“There are many ways to showcase Australian culture, but sending someone to India to play the didgeridoo is extravagant and excessive,” he said.
“While it’s important to showcase Australia’s proud heritage, it can certainly be done in a more affordable way.”
A DFAT spokeswoman argued the spending was necessary to “promote and create a better understanding of Australia and the Australian Government’s policies”.
“Delivering high-quality events that attract diverse and influential stakeholders and showcase Australia as a modern and inclusive society is critical to diplomacy and promoting Australia’s policies, priorities and interests internationally,” he said.
Consul General Silai Zaki shared photos from the lavish event in May, describing it as a “great evening celebrating” Australia-India relations.
“We brought together senior (Indian) business leaders to discuss corporate engagement and other opportunities outside of cricket in (Australia),” he said.
“Their insights were invaluable. This series will go beyond cricket and foster collaboration between the community and businesses!”
Several Indian cricket officials attended the event, including Roger Binny, chairman of the Indian Board of Control for Cricket.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted DFAT for further comment.
The news comes just two weeks after Australia’s ambassador to the United States, Kevin Rudd, was accused of turning the US embassy into a “party house”.
The former prime minister, who was appointed ambassador in March 2023, was found to have spent thousands of dollars on parties, butlers and alcohol at the embassy.
The extravagant May event was to celebrate the upcoming Summer of Cricket.
One of Mr. Rudd’s most notable expenses was a $15,340 barbecue, he The Telegraph newspaper reported.
Documents released by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade also revealed invoices for $1,100 and $540 for two events held in May: a dinner for 20 guests and a cocktail reception for 45 guests.
That same month, the embassy paid just over $2,000 for 12 of Nelly’s professional staff “butlers,” who worked four hours each.
Mr Rudd’s office said the ambassador’s allowance was “actually underspent” in 2023.
Asked by the Telegraph about how the events were funded, a spokesman for Mr Rudd would say only that a separate event – the inaugural Australian Embassy Awards – was paid for by sponsors.
The awards gala was billed by Mr Rudd as “the first Australian Embassy gala” and brought “a bit of Australia to Washington DC”.
The event cost almost $300,000 and that sum includes a $25,000 payment to Channel 10 presenter Narelda Jacobs for her role as MC, and $24,000 paid to Creative Artists Agency for a performance by Australian soprano Amy Manford.
Mr Rudd’s office issued a statement clarifying that “his allowance was actually underspent last year” and defended the expensive gala.
An email from a DFAT official involved in securing Mr Murray’s performance justified his presence as “a showcase of Australia’s indigenous culture”.
“The front-page story infers that this year’s Australia Day celebration at the new embassy building in Washington showed the embassy ‘squandering’ taxpayer funds,” he said.
‘This event may have been funded by the embassy, as is customary for Australia Day events around the world, but was actually funded through corporate sponsorship organised by the embassy.’
