FARRER MP Sussan Ley has defended her use of a hire car for four days on the Gold Coast last year.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
The $450 charge to taxpayers is listed in the latest MP expenses released by the finance department this week.
Ms Ley's office confirmed there were no Commonwealth cars available for use on the Gold Coast and politicians were permitted to hire a car or use a taxi in such circumstances.
A spokesman for Ms Ley said there was no personal use of the hire car for the period between August 17-21 and all use was strictly business related to her former ministerial roles.
Her office also provided a list of her engagements on the Gold Coast when she hired the car.
They were a visit to John Flynn Private Hospital, a meeting with the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games organising committee, a visit of Commonwealth Games facilities, a visit to the Headspace Early Psychosis Centre in Southport and opening the Australian Day Hospital Association conference.
"Ms Ley asked the Department of Finance to independently review all her travel records which involved travel to, from and transiting the Gold Coast, for the entire time that she had been a government minister (September 2013 and January 2017)," the spokesman said.
"This includes the latest Department of Finance reporting period for all MP’s from July to December last year.
"The results of the independent inquiry were made public and found only one technical breach of the guidelines in the first half of 2015 – being for a five-minute car trip.
"Ms Ley has allowed all her travel to be fully and independently scrutinised."
She stepped down from her ministerial positions in January this year in part to the revelation she used a government car to travel to a Gold Coast apartment auction in May 2015 with her partner.
Between July and December last year, Ms Ley's travel included trips and travel to Canberra (17 times), Sydney (12), Melbourne (11) and Gold Coast (4).
