Business class is over for politicians wives’ and husbands after an overhaul of travel allowances proposed by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
Government rules allow politicians to claim travel expenses only if the trip’s ‘dominant purpose’ is official duties.
MPs and senators can also claim three ‘family reunion’ trips a year, which include business class airfares to help politicians maintain family connections despite the job’s long hours and extensive travel.
Scrutiny around the use of the ‘family travel’ policy was sparked by revelations earlier this month that Anika Wells spent more than $8,500 flying her family to Melbourne for three AFL grand final weekends between 2022 and 2024.
Wells, who is the Sports and Communications Minister, also flew her husband and other family members at public expense. She referred herself for an audit.
Weeks later, Albanese has finally confirmed changes his office has made to the Remuneration Tribunal, the independent body that handles the remuneration of key commonwealth offices.
‘Those proposed changes would be, firstly, that all family reunion travel must be booked in economy class,’ he said on Tuesday.
‘Secondly, to remove access to Australia-wide family reunion travel and restrict to Canberra and within a parliamentarian’s local area or electorate – in a senator’s case, of course, that’s a state.’
Anthony Albanese announces proposed changes to politicians’ family allowance
Scrutiny over the policy was sparked after the travel expenses of Communications Minister Anika Wells revealed she had flown her family for three AFL Grand Final weekends
‘In relation to travel for the spouse or partner of a senior office holder, we would restrict travel to events where the following elements exist, the spouse or partner has got an invitation as part of the official invitation to the senior office holder, and that the events are connected with either the senior office holders portfolio.’
An example he gave was that, if someone were environment minister, the event must be connected to the environment or parliamentary responsibilities as well.
The Prime Minister added that he still wants to protect working parents in parliament, referencing how many more women are in Canberra than decades before.
‘We also have indicated… that careful consideration be given to new mothers or fathers, (and) to children who are dependents as well, to make sure that we don’t disadvantage parents,’ Albanese said.
‘We want a parliament that reflects Australia in all its diversity, and that includes the fact that this parliament looks very different from what it did when I came here in 1996. That’s a good thing.’
The Remuneration Tribunal will consider the letter in early January of next year when its members meet meet, reporters were told.
The Prime Minister curtly told reporters that he does ‘not have the power at a stroke of a pen, to change entitlements’.
He also said his office chose not to make the news public last week due to the focus on the tragedy of the Bondi Beach terror attack: ‘We have been focused very much on these events.’
Wells’ husband Finn McCarthy (pictured together centre) had also travelled to a ski holiday under ‘family reunion’ rules
But Daily Mail understands the Opposition has accused the government of sweeping the issue under the rug.
The Prime Minister only received two questions from reporters on the issue, having spent most of his press conference focused on policy following the Bondi Beach massacre.
He said he is confident that all of his ministers who need to refer themselves to an independent watchdog have done so.
‘There was criticism from some in the media about (it being an) arm’s length processes. That’s what we have,’ he said.
‘The Remuneration Tribunal will give consideration to this. That’s appropriate and that is what we’re doing.’
Albanese then repeated that his changes, submitted to the tribunal, are appropriate when asked if they fit into community expectations.
