Anthony Albanese’s proposed clampdown on politicians travel entitlements includes business flights for family

Federal politicians would no longer be able to fly their family members business class and taxpayer-funded trips outside of Canberra will mostly be cut off under changes proposed by the Albanese government following a damaging entitlements scandal.

Two days out from Christmas, the Prime Minister revealed he had received advice from the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority (IPEA) on overhauling family reunion travel and has put the suggestions to the Remuneration Tribunal for consideration.

“They will give consideration to it — that’s their job, at arm’s-length, and then the process is they then come back to the Government. But it is appropriate that we have an arm’s length process on these matters,” Mr Albanese said.

The crackdown followed weeks of controversy over politicians’ expenses after Communications Minister Anika Wells billed taxpayers nearly $100,000 for last-minute flights to New York, and subsequent revelations about trips involving her family.

“I do not have the power at a stroke of a pen to change entitlements. The Rem Tribunal has the power and we have written to the Remuneration Tribunal,” Mr Albanese told reporters in Canberra on Tuesday.

Under the clampdown, spouses of politicians would only be able to claim for economy travel to events they were officially invited to, unlike the current entitlement of three annual return business-class flights to locations other than Canberra for family members.

“We would restrict travel to events where the following elements exist: the spouse or partner has got an invitation as part of the official invitation to the senior officeholder, and that the events are connected with either the senior officeholders’ portfolio . . . , or Parliamentary responsibilities as well.”

The Prime Minister told reporters he had received advice around nine or 10 days ago from IPEA about tightening the rules and had then written to the remuneration tribunal to propose the changes.

Mr Albanese also indicated that consideration should “be given to new mothers or fathers and to children essentially who are dependents as well, to make sure that we don’t disadvantage parents”.

“We want a parliament that reflects Australia in all its diversity, and that includes the fact that this parliament looks very different from what it did when I came here in 1996 and that’s a good thing,” he said.

Earlier this month Attorney-General Michelle Rowland was told to repay some of the expenses she claimed for a week-long family trip to Perth, after IPEA found the spending was outside the official guidelines.

When asked by The Nightly whether he expected any other members of the government would be asked to repay taxpayers for inappropriately claimed expenses, the Prime Minister did not directly respond.

In a statement the opposition said the Prime Minister’s announcement on rule changes was “too little, too late” and a tacit admission that he his senior colleagues presided over a “rotten culture of entitlement and arrogance”.

“This is a government that has treated taxpayer funds as a personal expense account at every turn,” Shadow Special Minister of State James McGrath and Shadow Finance Minister James Paterson said in a joint statement.

“Let’s not forget that the Prime Minister told us this was not his responsibility. This announcement proves that once again he lied to Australians.”

“Tinkering with rules does not remove the need for a full and proper investigation by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet into whether the Ministerial Code of Conduct has been breached.”