Travel Bill Approaches $1m

Sydney Morning Herald

Friday June 27, 2008

Andrew Clennell and Alexandra Smith

THE Premier and his ministers have spent more than $800,000 on overseas travel in the past year, including $433,000 on Morris Iemma's trip to China and India last year, during which the Government picked up the tab for lavish dinners and lunches.

The figure is likely to climb closer to $1 million once the bill for Mr Iemma's return visit to China last month is included. The cost of that trip was not detailed in documents given to the Opposition on the travel costs under freedom-of-information laws.

Among the top ministerial jet-setters, the Transport Minister, John Watkins, spent $58,551 taking his wife, child and staff to Hong Kong, Rome, London and Paris and on a trip to Singapore.

The Energy and Mineral Resources Minister, Ian MacDonald, and staff spent $67,336 on visits to the United States, China, Hong Kong, Japan and India.

The trip to the Cannes International Film Festival by the Fair Trading Minister, Linda Burney, cost $35,000.

Much of the cost of the China and India bill for Mr Iemma went towards such functions as a $48,000 lunch held for 530 guests at the Shangri-la Hotel in Guangzhou in an attempt to encourage business for Sydney. A similar lunch at the Taj Mahal Hotel in New Delhi cost almost $40,000.

The Housing Minister, Matt Brown, took three overseas trips at a cost of $46,700. The Lands Minister, Tony Kelly, and the backbencher Angela D'Amore, in her role as an Italian representative in Australia, spent $50,000 visiting Amsterdam, Milan and Rome.

The Ports Minister, Joe Tripodi, spent $13,044 on a trip to Singapore and India. The Police Minister, David Campbell, spent $55,884 on a trip to the US. The Disability Services Minister, Kristina Kenneally, also visited the US at a cost of $8418.

The shadow leader of the House, Adrian Piccoli, who produced the figures during question time, said ministers were "more interested in racking up frequent flyer points at taxpayers' expense than addressing the state's problems".

On radio 2UE the Premier described recent poll results in which Labor's primary vote collapsed to just 32 per cent as a "kick in the pants ... it's a loud message to do better, to work harder".

© 2008 Sydney Morning Herald

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