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politics11h ago
Australia news live: Michelle Rowland to make repayment for 2023 family trip found to breach entitlements
- Michelle Rowland agreed to repay part of the nearly $22,000 travel cost after the independent watchdog found some of the spending breached rules, marking a first among ministers in the current expenses scandal.
- IPEA’s ruling prompted Rowland to formally accept advice and begin repayment steps, signaling tighter oversight of ministerial travel entitlements.
- The Perth leg of the NSW school-holiday trip accounted for most of the $22,000 spend, with about $16,000 in business-class air fares and another $4,242 in Rowland’s own fares, plus travel allowances.
- Rowland did not claim travel allowances for days without official engagements, aligning with a broader effort to exhibit tighter spending discipline.
- The case sits within wider scrutiny of politicians' travel entitlements, including subsequent reviews of other ministers’ spending and potential rule changes.
- The broader policy context includes efforts to curb grocery price gouging and reform the Food and Grocery Code of Conduct, intersecting with debates over public spending and household costs.
- Rowland’s 2023 trip included at least 10 official engagements in Perth, a detail cited by her office in defense of the trip’s public duties notwithstanding the disputed expenses.
- IPEA finalised its advice on December 12 and found part of the family-reunion travel expenses were outside guidelines, prompting repayment steps.
- Chalmers acknowledged community concerns about ministers’ expenses, framing rules as a balance between accountability and being able to be good parents while performing duties.
- Prime Minister Anthony Albanese signaled readiness to consider IPEA advice on potential rule changes as part of the response to the widening expenses scandal.
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