In October this year Federal Nationals MP for Cowper Luke Hartsuyker was caught stretching his 2012 overseas study tour to include what looked suspiciously like a visit to family and friends in The Netherlands.
Or as he put it to the APN Newsdesk on 12 October; On the Netherlands leg of the trip, he said he went to Amsterdam to see cycling infrastructure, but was unable to secure official meetings.
The latest Expenditure on Entitlements paid by the Department of Finance record (1 January to 30 June 2013) carefully notes Mr. Hartsuyker’s reimbursed expenses totalling $141,039.21 over that six month period.
This is not one of the biggest bills presented to the Australian taxpayer by a federal politician, but it does contain at least one puzzling entry.
In the December-January break after Parliament dissolved Mr. Hartsuyker did not claim to be on official political business again until 21 January 2013 when he claimed travel allowance.
Yet he is popping down to Sydney and back to Coffs Harbour with a family member on 3 January 2013 and charging the taxpayer $1,306.48 in combined airfares for this trip of unspecified purpose, plus $62.30 in Comcar travel and $47.73 in taxi fares.
If whatever took him south actually was part of his duties as the Member for Cowper, one still has to wonder why a day trip to Sydney required the presence of a family member.
Hmmmmm..........
Note: 2nd Test Match Cricket Australia vs Sri Lanka Thursday 3rd January 2013 at the SCG and various other Sydney sporting events on that date.
Note: 2nd Test Match Cricket Australia vs Sri Lanka Thursday 3rd January 2013 at the SCG and various other Sydney sporting events on that date.
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