Ineligible MPs rack up $1m in expenses while under cloud
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Centre Alliance’s Rebekha Sharkie, who only came under serious citizenship scrutiny in November, spent nearly $200,000 in the six months between October and March. Labor’s Katy Gallagher, whose British citizenship woes came to light in September, spent close to $70,000 in the six-month period. She was booted from Parliament by the High Court in May, prompting the MPs in a similar situation to resign.
In total, the five MPs had taxpayer-funded expenses of $962,155 between October and March. Data for April and May is not yet available but would almost certainly take them above $1 million.
The four byelections prompted by their ineligibility are also set to cost taxpayers about $1.5 million a pop, according to Australian Electoral Commission estimates.
The “office administration” allowance granted to parliamentarians is mostly used for printing. In the latest report, covering January to March, a backbench MP had the highest office admin expenditure in each state.
Liberal MP Julian Leeser, who holds the blue-ribbon seat of Berowra by a huge margin, spent $97,661 on printing and distribution – more than any other MP. Western Australian Liberal MP Rick Wilson, came in second, while Liberal backbencher Tim Wilson from Victoria was third.
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