By David Southwell For Daily Mail Australia
01:25 12 Mar 2024, updated 02:16 12 Mar 2024
Greens leader Adam Bandt has come under fire for racking up an expenses bill of almost $1million a year, including hundreds of thousands on printing and two private jet flights.
The anti-fossil fuel campaigner also claimed $12,000 on a taxpayer-provided vehicle and petrol allowance plus $29,000 on government COMCAR trips and taxis, according to figures from the Department of Finance.
Despite his party’s core policy of cutting C02 emissions Mr Bandt used two private jets during the 2022 election campaign, landing tax payers with the $23,000 bill.
One flight was between Queensland regional centres Townsville and Rockhampton on March 7.
However, he also took a a $15,000 private plane along the well-travelled Brisbane to Canberra route to attend his party’s election campaign launch.
During the year Mr Bandt also spent $57,000 for domestic flights on himself and an eye-watering $372,000 in travel expenses for his 21 staff.
The $963,166 in expenses racked up by Mr Bandt are on top of his $314,000 salary and do not include the wages of his personal staff.
For his personal vehicle use, it is understood Mr Bandt is renting a hybrid model.
Independent MP Dai Le questioned why Mr Bandt used private flights on well-serviced commercial routes considering his climate stance.
‘I’m shocked by the news of parliamentarians overspending and surprised by the Greens use of chartered flights when they are the party that opposed the use of fossil fuels,’ she told the Daily Telegraph.
‘At the end of the day, how we spend and what we spend on, will be judged by the people when it’s time to cast their vote.’
Mr Bandt however found a defender in former Labor senator Stephen Conroy.
‘To my shock, I’ll actually defend Adam Bandt,’ Mr Conroy told Sky News.
‘The amount of travel and the work expenses, providing they’re within – and there’s no suggestion from any of these stories, not one single suggestion that anyone has gone outside – the guidelines.
‘These are legitimate work expenses.
‘A politician’s job is to communicate with their constituents – Adam Bandt is the leader of a political party, so you’d expect him to be out there up front.’
A spokesperson for Mr Bandt defended his expenditure.
‘As the leader of the third largest political party in Australia you would expect Mr Bandt would engage in extensive travel and unlike the Prime Minister and many Ministers he doesn’t have access to government VIP flights,’ the spokesperson said.
‘All Mr Bandt’s expenditures are within entitlements.’