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The trade and tourism minister, Don Farrell, charged taxpayers more than $2,200 to travel to Canberra on the same weekend he attended a press gallery journalist\u2019s wedding, describing the reason for the trip as official duties.<\/p>\n
Farrell \u2013 who as the special minister of state has portfolio responsibility of the independent parliamentary expenses authority \u2013 flew from Adelaide to Canberra with his wife on 1 November last year, charging taxpayers a total of $1,636 for return flights.<\/p>\n
Farrell also claimed two nights of travel allowance payments for the trip, worth $636, listing official duties as the reason for the travel.<\/p>\n Sign up: AU Breaking News email<\/sub><\/a><\/p>\n The couple\u2019s air fares and other entitlements cost taxpayers more than $2,270. Mrs Farrell\u2019s costs were classified as family travel.<\/p>\n Guardian Australia asked Farrell\u2019s office to explain the official business on the relevant weekend.<\/p>\n The trip coincided with the Canberra wedding of a reporter in the federal parliamentary press gallery, which the Farrells attended as guests on Saturday 2 November.<\/p>\n Guardian Australia revealed this week there is no cap on the amount of spousal flights senior ministers and other officeholders can claim under the rules, with regulations governing politicians expenses describing the entitlements as \u201crelevantly unlimited in respect of total expenses claimable each year<\/a>\u201d.<\/p>\n Mrs Farrell returned to Adelaide a few days later, while the minister flew to Shanghai for a trade show the following Sunday, 3 November.<\/p>\n Farrell\u2019s travel claims have come under scrutiny in the growing parliamentary expenses controversy, sparked by expenses from the communications minister, Anika Wells,<\/a> for a series of official trips overseas and to sporting events at home.<\/p>\n Wells has asked the independent watchdog to audit her claims and maintains she has followed the rules at all times.<\/p>\n One of Anthony Albanese\u2019s most influential supporters and a Labor powerbroker, Farrell\u2019s total family travel bill since Labor\u2019s 2022 election victory runs to more than $90,000.<\/p>\n Under the rules, an MP\u2019s family member can travel at taxpayer expense when they accompany or join the parliamentarian within Australia. The rules require the trip to be for the dominant purpose of conducting parliamentary business, or for \u201cfacilitating the family life of the parliamentarian\u201d.<\/p>\n The travel costs are detailed in public data collated by the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority.<\/p>\n