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Prime Minister Tony Abbott quietly attended a Liberal party fundraiser near Geelong on Wednesday night amid continuing controversy over parliamentary entitlements, and the use of government resources to attend such events.
The dinner at the Clyde Park vineyard came three weeks after the row over MPs' entitlements was triggered by the revelation that former speaker Bronwyn Bishop chartered a helicopter from Melbourne during the Victorian election last year to attend a fundraiser near Geelong at a cost to taxpayers of more than $5200.
When asked how on Thursday how he travelled to the fundraiser at the vineyard at Bannockburn, 21 kilometres north of Geelong, Mr Abbott responded "I went with the police".
Mr Abbott said that the public should be prepared to fund what was "reasonably necessary" for politicians to do their job properly, including attend political fundraisers.
"We also have political responsibilities and MPs have got to be suitably funded to carry out this range of responsibilities," the Prime Minister told Melbourne radio 3AW.
"Do I think it's wrong for a member of Parliament to go to a fundraiser and maybe use a Comcar to do it? Not necessarily.
"Should you use a helicopter to get there? Well plainly that's outside community expectations."
He later defended politicians attending party fundraisers, which grant attendees access to politicians for a fee, as an "important part" of the job of being a politician.
"These are opportunities to learn more about the way our country works, to learn more about what is on the minds of the people of Australia and I think they are an important part of a job like mine," he said.
The event appears to have been a hastily arranged money-spinner for local Liberal MP Sarah Henderson, who holds the marginal seat of Corangamite.
Mr Abbott spent Thursday morning in Geelong to attend at least two events, one at a secondary school. He also announced the government will base its $14 million Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre in Geelong.
Cabinet minister Malcolm Turnbull also visited Geelong just last week, where he made a point of the fact he made the trip from Melbourne via public transport.
At Sth Geelong station with @SHendersonMP before going to Torquay to inspect the @NBN_Australia rollout. pic.twitter.com/PWJI7dBNAD— Malcolm Turnbull (@TurnbullMalcolm)
July 28, 2015
The "choppergate" scandal that led to the resignation of Mrs Bishop as House of Representatives speaker has refuelled public debate about political fundraising and the advantage incumbency gives sitting MPs who use taxpayer-supported travel and accommodation to support attendance at such events.
The entitlement rules for MPs are notoriously complex. Fundraising is not specifically ruled in or out and is open to interpretation.
Prominent independent senator Nick Xenophon told Fairfax Media that it was unacceptable taxpayers should be asked to subsidise political fundraising and called for a revamp of existing rules.
With Latika Bourke
