Tony Abbott used an RAAF jet to attend the birthday party of a Liberal Party donor Paul Marks. His office said the PM had work-related engagements the following day but would not say what they were.
Latest Liberal Party Stories
Julie Bishop’s $30k flight from Perth to Canberra
Julie Bishop stayed an extra day in Perth after completing her official public commitments so an empty jet flew from Canberra to Perth to pick up her and her partner David Panton to return them to the nation’s capital at a cost to taxpayers of $30,000.
Comparing apples and fridges: Greg Hunt’s climate con
April 2015As environment minster, Greg Hunt claimed that Labor’s carbon tax was more than 93 times more expensive than the Coalition's Emissions Reduction Fund at reducing emissions.Hunt claimed that the carbon tax “reduced emissions at over $1,300 per...
Weddings, operas, anything goes for Bronwyn Bishop’s expenses
As Speaker, Liberal MP Bronwyn Bishop claimed $600 for flights to attend the wedding of parliamentary colleague Sophie Mirabella.
Coalition MPs’ ‘study allowances’ pay for trip home from Indian wedding
Three Coalition MPs claimed more than $12,000 in “overseas study” allowances to pay for flights home after attending the wedding in Hyderabad of the granddaughter of Gina Rinehart’s business partner.
$1,352 for Christopher Pyne’s day use of London hotel room
The Pynes enjoyed a $30,000 lavish trip to London and Rome in April 2013.
Idyllic Cocos islands nice spot for a ‘family reunion’
Family members of Coalition MPs flew to the idyllic Cocos islands for a weekend jaunt on the taxpayers’ dime. Despite claiming travel on ‘family reunion’ grounds, it appears both MPs were in their electorate the previous week.
MPs charge taxpayers to attend Tony Abbott’s farewell bash
Peter Dutton, Eric Abetz and Kevin Andrews billed taxpayers more than $6000 on flights, cars and hotels for their overnight stay. Neither Dutton nor Abetz responded to multiple requests for comment about the purpose of their trips.
No paper trail for Coalition’s $30m handout to Foxtel
Foxtel given $30m in taxpayers’ money over four years to boost “under represented sports” on pay TV, yet the Seven Network did not receive any government support to broadcast the inaugural season of the AFL Women’s League.
Mathias Cormann had ‘no idea’ travel agent paid for family holiday flights
Mathias Cormann had ‘no idea’ his family holiday flights to Singapore were paid for by Hello World, a travel company controlled by Liberal Party Treasurer Andrew Burnes.
Tim Wilson solicited preselection endorsements while at Human Rights Commission
Tim Wilson solicited preselection endorsements while at the Human Rights Commission, a move that ‘threatened’ the commission’s independence.
Abbott-era MPs: ‘leaners’ on the public payroll
Former Coalition MPs treated to rich pickings at taxpayers’ expense, with more than 40% of Abbott-era MPs appointed to government jobs.
Tony Abbott’s office ‘aided Chinese donation’ after ASIO warning
Tony Abbott’s office reportedly helped Chinese billionaire and “agent of foreign influence” to donate to the Liberal Party in 2016.
Coalition legal action sends chills through whistleblowers
“The Witness K and Bernard Collaery cases will send a chill through anyone who might contemplate exposing the immoral and illegal actions of their government.”
Andrew Robb’s $880k China consultancy started day before 2016 election
Former trade minister and Liberal MP Andrew Robb accepted an $880,000-a-year salary with Chinese billionaire Ye Cheng’s Landbridge Group upon quitting parliament. He resigned shortly before the deadline for overseas state interests to sign up to Australia’s new foreign influence register.
Coalition’s $444m for Barrier Reef foundation did not follow rules
The Coalition awarded a $444 million grant to the Great Barrier Reef Foundation without a tender process, the “due diligence” was based on information provided for another purpose, and the foundation had to submit a retrospective application after it had been awarded the money.
The Prime Minister and the big blue bus (he didn’t use)
Scott Morrison visited Queensland on a four-day tour of marginal seats, but the PM wasn’t actually riding on the bus.
‘No limits to what Coalition will do to hide embarrassing information’
The government is trying to stop the auditor general giving evidence about his 2018 report that was critical of a $1.3 billion arms deal. Part of the report was redacted following pressure from the French multinational arms manufacturer Thales.
Coalition ignored experts, waved through Tasmanian development, including helipad
The Morrison government waved through approval for a luxury tourist development and helipad in the pristine Tasmanian wilderness despite three official expert bodies lashing the proposal or calling for it to be rejected.
Gambling lobby’s punt with $20k donation to Kevin Andrews
Liberal MP Kevin Andrews received a $20,000 donation from Clubs NSW, Australia’s most powerful gambling lobby, as he led the formulation of the Coalition’s poker machines policy before the 2013 election.
‘My bad’: Stuart Robert blames MyGov crash on DoS attack
Robert claimed myGov website crashed due to a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack and not because of the large number of unemployed people trying to log in to register for Centrelink.
Richard Colbeck
In 2018, Liberal Senator Richard Colbeck returned to parliament in true revolving doors fashion after a 14 month stint as chairman for peak gambling lobbyists Responsible Wagering Australia (RWA). Colbeck is also chairman of the Australia and New Zealand Ministerial Forum on Food Regulation who have been pivotal in recently delaying a new mandatory pregnancy warning label for all alcohol products in the interest of alcohol industry lobbyists.
Bruce Billson paid $75k salary by lobby group while an MP
The former Liberal minister Bruce Billson failed to declare he was employed and paid a $75,000 salary by a business lobby before he quit parliament.
Regional Growth Fund follows sport rorts playbook
Of the $248 million in Regional Growth Fund grants awarded just ahead of the 2019 election, Coalition seats snagged $234 million.
Grassgate – Angus Taylor kept mum on personal financial interest
Angus Taylor did not declare his financial interest in a company at a meeting with senior environment officials and the office of the then environment minister, Josh Frydenberg about endangered grasslands.
Christopher Pyne took up EY job 9 days after leaving parliament
Former Liberal defence minister Christopher Pyne discussed defence consulting jobs with EY while he was still in cabinet and took up a job nine days after leaving parliament.
