Individual MPs will no longer have their international travel expense details publicly scrutinised following changes to expense disclosure.Speaker Lockwood Smith announced today that international travel rebates claimed by MPs would now be made public qua
Individual MPs will no longer have their international travel expense details publicly scrutinised following changes to expense disclosure.
Speaker Lockwood Smith announced today that international travel rebates claimed by MPs would now be made public quarterly as a bulk amount, rather than individually.
He said the approach was being taken because the cost of that travel was funded by MPs, with set amounts coming out of their overall salary package for the purpose.
He argued that meant there were legitimate reasons MPs should be afforded a level of privacy over their travel.
Remuneration Authority figures show there was $1,176,812 deducted from salaries for international air travel in the 2009/2010 year, and $432,989 in expenditure on rebates. For the first quarter of the 2010/1011 year those figures were $294,203 and $76,589.
Dr Smith said while the public wouldn't know which individuals were claiming what, it would be his responsibility to keep an eye on it.
"I've tried to bring integrity to my role as Speaker, and I expect ministers to bring integrity to their work in the House," he said.
Under the new system, the likes of Rodney Hide and Chris Carter would have been spared the intense public scrutiny they got when it emerged they had clocked up big international travel bills with their partners at their sides.
Dr Smith said he considered it vital for MPs to continue maintaining work-related networks around the world and wouldn't want to see them shy away from that because of concerns their spending would cause a public backlash.
He said he disagreed with suggestions the travel rebate was a perk, as it was something MPs had paid for themselves, and had been troubled by what he considered to be a lack of integrity in the information released under the original system.
MPs start contributing to travel expenses when they enter Parliament, and can claim a 25 percent rebate on international travel after their first term, with the rebate growing to 90 percent for seniors.
Dr Smith also said legal expenses run up by MPs and paid for by the taxpayer would be made public quarterly from now on once litigation had been settled.
