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THE cost of relocating Sussan Ley’s office in Albury is included in the latest breakdown of federal MP expenditure released this week.
The Health Minister spent $150,990 on office fitouts between July 1 to December 31 last year, according to the most recent finance department figures, which also listed $118,922 being spent on office facilities and $68,655 on administration costs.
The fitout costs were spread across her Albury and Broken Hill electorate offices and a Melbourne office for her health and sport portfolios.
In the previous six months, Ms Ley spent only $600 on fitout costs for her two electorate offices.
Part of the latest costs were attributed to internal security upgrades.
Ms Ley was previously based in Swift Street in offices which had been the headquarters of the Farrer MP, including former deputy prime minister Tim Fischer, since 1971.
But late last year she moved into revamped offices previously occupied by real estate agents, L.J. Colquhoun Dixon.
The office space occupied by Ms Ley and her Albury-based staff is owned by The Albury Club.
An exact breakdown on the fitout costs for Ms Ley’s new office in Albury couldn’t be confirmed, but more costs could be incurred in the next reporting period with the move not made until December last year.
Two NSW parliamentary colleagues, senator David Leyonhjelm ($260,333) and MP Lucy Wicks ($257,475) spent more than Ms Ley in the same six-month reporting period.
Ms Ley was promoted to cabinet with the health and sport portfolios late last year.
Indi MP Cathy McGowan came under fire in the previous reporting period for spending $383,254 on fitting out offices in Wangaratta and Wodonga.
In the latest figures, Ms McGowan spent another $31,697 on office fitouts in addition to $63,777 on office facilities and $54,940 on administration costs.
The largest fitout costs by any Victorian-based MP in the last six months was Tim Watts with $340,454.
Both Ms Ley and Ms McGowan are allowed more than one electorate office due to the size of their electorates.