Taxpayer funding for MPs to attend the AFL grand final has become a joke

The use of taxpayer funds for politicians to attend the AFL grand final has become a joke after regular grand final VIP Julie Bishop was ridiculed at a pre-game breakfast she attended on Saturday.

Ms Bishop is once again watching the AFL grand final on the taxpayer dime and has been in Melbourne since Thursday to attend two Liberal Party events.

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On Saturday morning North Melbourne AFL chairman Ben Buckley joked to a packed grand final breakfast audience that Ms Bishop “had arranged a meeting of cabinet in the Yarra Room at the MCG regarding the North Korean crisis”.

The Foreign Minister’s office has not issued any official engagement alerts since her arrival in Melbourne, but photos show the avid AFL fan finding time to attend the Liberal Party’s Dunckley blue ribbon fundraiser and the Liberal Ladies Who Legislate forum.

Using taxpayer funding to travel to party fundraisers is explicitly against parliamentary expense regulations.

“Ministers must be scrupulous in ensuring the legitimacy and accuracy of any claim for entitlement to ministerial, parliamentary or travel allowance,” the standards state.

Ms Bishop’s office declined to comment on whether taxpayers had footed the bill for her to attend Friday’s exclusive Liberal gathering at century-old vineyard, the Morning Star Estate, or the Liberal ladies forum at KPMG on Thursday.

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Last year, Ms Bishop charged taxpayers $3500 to attend the grand final including $1946 on flights from Perth to Melbourne, and $577 on a chauffeur driven car.

Ms Bishop said the grand final was a major international sporting event and it was appropriate for senior leaders from all parties to attend in their official capacities.

“I have no concerns at all by the attempt at humour because all of my travel expenses are consistent with the guidelines for parliamentarians,” Ms Bishop said in response to Mr Buckley’s comments.

Her office has repeatedly refused to confirm what other official engagements she had in Melbourne.

She is scheduled to appear on the Melbourne-based ABC’s Insiders program on Sunday, as she has every post-grand final morning since at least 2014.

Last week, the Herald Sun reported that Ms Bishop had spent tens of thousands of dollars visiting cities on the same day her West Coast Eagles played.

Ms Bishop is the club’s former chairman and is now its number one ticket holder.

Championing Liberal women in politics today at @KPMG with my impressive colleagues. #ladieswholegislate pic.twitter.com/441sFVYGQo

— Jane Hume (@SenatorHume)

September 28, 2017

On 17 occasions Between 2009 and 2013 Ms Bishop was in the same city when the Eagles played away from home, racking up $29,000 in taxpayer funded flights.

On Saturday, Mr Buckley joked the Department of Foreign Affairs had asked the Eagles to play the AFL’s exhibition match in China next year.

Labor leader Bill Shorten and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull gave official speeches at the breakfast, while a swag of MPs are expected to be hosted by big business at the grand final.

Greens leader Richard Di Natale, Goldstein MP Tim Wilson and NSW Riverina MP Michael McCormack were all spotted at the MCG before kick off.

In January it was revealed federal government ministers Mathias Cormann and Steve Ciobo charged taxpayers more than $4500 to attend the 2013 grand final as guests of the National Australia Bank.

Mr Ciobo and Senator Cormann said the match and events before and after the game were a part of official government business.

Article source: http://smh.com.au/afl/richmond-tigers/afl-grand-final-2017-tigers-fans-don-temporary-tattoos-and-minimohawks-in-tribute-to-dustin-martin-20170928-gyqoii.html