FORMER Indi MP Sophie Mirabella spent $40,000 updating her Wangaratta office less than a year before her election defeat.
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The Murphy Street building — which was described by Mrs Mirabella’s successor, Cathy McGowan, as being “dark, dingy and pokey” when she moved in — was painted, had worn-out carpet replaced and disabled access upgraded to minimum standards in late 2012.
The Border Mail has obtained photos of other improvements carried out at the time.
They show the creation of glass partitions and updated furniture in the building which also has an open kitchen, storeroom, boardroom, two large offices and four smaller suites.
The $40,386 spent by Mrs Mirabella was outlined in Department of Finance documents from January 1 to June 30 last year.
The same register has revealed Mrs McGowan spent $383,254 on fitting out the Wangaratta office and creating a second electoral office in High Street, Wodonga.
Mrs Mirabella last night confirmed the works took place in the first half of 2013 when the battle for Indi ramped up.
She declined to comment on the renovations undertaken by Ms McGowan.
But a former Mirabella staffer, who wished to remained anonymous, said yesterday the Wangaratta office was more than adequate.
“It is a privilege to work for a member of Parliament,” the staffer said.
“Personally, I was always far more concerned about assisting my boss in the important work that she was doing than I was about the colour of the walls or the texture of the carpet.
“A politician’s office is a practical place where you get work done.
“Exorbitant renovations and refurbishments were the furthest thing from any of our minds.
“We were there to get results.”
Mrs Mirabella also confirmed a second electorate office had been approved for Indi and preliminary work had been undertaken on converting a building at Alexandra in the lead-up to the 2013 election in September.
A figure of $12,500 has been attributed to Mrs Mirabella in department records between July 1 and December 31 last year.
Alexandra is located in the southern part of the Indi electorate.