News.com.au 5 December 2014:
Taxpayers
have been hit with a double whammy following a November food and wine tour by
besieged Defence Minister David Johnston and his chief-of-staff Sean Costello.
In addition
to the $6384 five-star bill chalked up on the government credit card
entertaining defence industry chiefs and foreign dignitaries, the public purse
will cop a Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT) bill of more than $2100 for the
extravaganza…..
The latest revelations
come after Mr Costello, a former navy officer and executive with submarine
builder ASC, had two senior staff frogmarched out of the office without
explanation on the day the ‘dinegate’ scandal was exposed. Defence has
launched a taxpayer funded leak investigation into the story by the feared
Defence Security Agency….. Their fine dining tour took in Matilda Bay
Restaurant in the minister’s home city of Perth where the government credit
card covered the $2332 bill for 14 people or $167.57 a head. At Sean’s
Kitchen in Adelaide the account was $662 for three people or $220.67 a head and
at Balthazar Restaurant in Perth it was $722 for three or $240.67 a head.
Docket from Sean's
Kitchen in Adelaide paid for by Defence Minister, David Johnston. Source: Supplied
Docket
from Balthazar Restaurant in Perth paid for by Defence Minister,
David
Johnston. Source: Supplied
A second
visit to Matilda Bay generated a bill of $2062 for seven or $294.57 per head
and a dinner at Courgette in Canberra came in at $599 for four or $149.75 each.
“If any of
the guests were Federal Government employees their meals will also incur FBT,”
Mr Perryman said.
Government
guidelines do not specify limits for the “reasonable amounts” that ministers
can spend on hospitality.
However Mr
Abbott’s statement of ministerial standards says: “Ministers and their staff
are provided with resources and facilities at public expense for the effective
conduct of public business. Such resources are not to be subject to wasteful or
extravagant use, and due economy is to be observed at all times.”
Ministers and
staff paid more than $200,291-a-year (Mr Costello is paid about $250,000) can
claim travel allowance of $379-a-day in Adelaide and $469-a-day in Perth
provided they don’t live there.
The meal
component of that is $143.25-a-day in Adelaide and Perth or $32.55 for
breakfast, $46.10 for lunch and $64.60 for dinner well below amounts spent on
the government credit card.
Military
personnel on official business can claim up to $47 for dinner, $28 for lunch
and $24 for breakfast provided there is no flight meal involved.
Concerns have
also been raised about the amount of alcohol served with the meals.
At the
Matilda Bay Restaurant Mr Costello and six guests drank six $15 pints of
Japanese ale, two bottles of $85 Chardonnay, two bottles of $190 Henscke Shiraz
and a $210 bottle of Cullen Diana Cabernet. There are no official guidelines
covering alcohol consumption.
Mr Costello
has admitted that he had accepted a flight upgrade from first to business class
in contravention of official guidelines.
Prime
Minister Tony Abbott’s office moved to distance itself from the chaos yesterday
when his powerful chief-of-staff Peta Credlin denied that she had any role in
Mr Costello’s appointment.
They worked
together in the office of Howard Government Defence Minister Robert Hill.
“All
Ministerial advisers, including Sean Costello, are put forward by the Minister
responsible and approved by the Prime Minister on recommendation from the
Government Staff Committee,” a spokeswoman for the prime minister said.
“Peta Credlin
did not approach Sean Costello to join the Minister’s office.”
Ms Credlin
sat on the Government Staff Committee or ‘star chamber’ chaired by Minister
Kevin Andrews following the election, but the government yesterday refused to
reveal its current membership…..
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