Federal Labor frontbencher Tony Burke has conceded taxpayers should not have been charged for his children to take business class flights to Uluru.

Mr Burke is also paying back $90 he claimed in travel expenses to attend a Robbie Williams concert last year, after questions were raised about whether it was official parliamentary business.

The Labor MP led the Opposition's attack on former speaker Bronwyn Bishop over her expenses claims, including the use of a charter helicopter to attend a Liberal Party fundraiser.

But Coalition MPs have criticised Mr Burke as a "hypocrite" given his own history of claims, including a decision to charge taxpayers more than $12,000 for a four-day trip to Uluru in 2012.

The claim included more than $8,000 in business class flights for his family to travel with him.

Until today, Mr Burke has been dealing with questions about the trip through written explanations, arguing the travel was within the rules and the trip was part of his work as environment minister.

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The statements outlined meetings Mr Burke had with Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park staff and representatives of the nearby Indigenous community of Mutitjulu.

Mr Burke has now spoken publicly about the entitlements claims, maintaining they were within the rules.

"I don't want there to be any argument whatsoever where somebody claims that I'm not willing to be held to the exact same standard as anyone else," Mr Burke said.

"While I am completely confident that the questions in particular relating to Uluru and Cairns have been 100 per cent within the rules, they have also been completely beyond community expectations.

"No-one can satisfy an argument that says that kids should have been flying business class and [I] accept that argument absolutely.

"There is a justifiable expectation that that was unnecessary and shouldn't have happened."

Burke asks for Finance Department review of spending

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Mr Burke has requested a Finance Department review of his family travel claims over the past five years, but said he would not repay the cost of the tickets at this stage.

He provided more details about the ministerial business he was conducting in Central Australia during his visit, saying it involved important talks on the preservation of Indigenous artefacts.

Part of the criticism of the trip was the lack of any formal media events, but Mr Burke said there was a need for privacy.

"We had a significant problem with the security of a number of deeply significant items of Aboriginal heritage there," he said.

"Irreplaceable items were in an environment that you could only describe as completely insecure."

He said it would have been "wildly inappropriate" to have organised any public events at the time, and part of the visit involved visiting "men's only" areas of the national park.

The Federal Government is planning a wide-scale review of the political entitlements system the Prime Minister said would involve "root and branch" consideration of the rules.

Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss has warned against getting rid of family travel allowances, saying many politicians had few opportunities to see their families.

Burke will repay Robbie Williams concert travel

Mr Burke also said he would immediately repay a $90 claim for transport to a Robbie Williams concert last year.

The claim for a Commonwealth car was approved by the Finance Department.

Mr Burke met with concert promoter Michael Chugg. News Corp is reporting Mr Chugg considered the meeting "general chit chat".

"My view is I'll just pay the thing back," Mr Burke said.

"I remember a series of security issues and costs for major events that we worked our way through, but if that's his recollection it's silly to get into a tit-for-tat on it."