Exclusive: The expenses claims come from Tony Abbott, Kevin Andrews and some other Coalition politicians participating in the 2014 charity bike ride

This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

The prime minister and some other Coalition politicians participating in the 2014 pollie pedal charity bike ride claimed almost $10,000 in flight and travel expenses around the event.

While Tony Abbott wasn’t involved in the entire trip, he claimed $1,116 in travel allowances for two nights of accommodation towards the end of the ride in Mudgee and Leura.



The then social services minister Kevin Andrews and the member for the electorate of Parkes – where most of the Pollie Pedal took place – Mark Coulton claimed $4,603 between them for the duration of the ride.

Andrews also claimed flights to and from Sydney at the start and end of the ride, and Andrews’ wife also flew in to Sydney at taxpayer expense at the beginning and end of the ride.



The assistant minister for social services, Mitch Fifield, also claimed flight and travel expenses over the course of the event, but did not take part in the cycling, instead holding 24 meetings and press conferences at various locations. Andrews and Abbott also held meetings and press conferences.

Other politicians joined the bike ride but did not make any claims for travel expenses, including Luke Hartsuyker, David Gillespie and Barnaby Joyce.



Pollie Pedal, an annual 1,000km charity bike ride undertaken by politicians in different parts of Australia, was co-founded by Abbott in 1998 with two then-fellow MPs Jackie Kelly and Ross Cameron. It raised over $750,000 in 2014, according to Carers Australia.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Kevin Andrew takes a break before riding out of Moree, NSW, in August 2014. Photograph: Dan Peled/AAP

A spokesman for Andrews said all travel claims had been made within entitlement and directed further questions to the Department of Finance.

“As the minister for social services at the time, Minister Andrews visited many community groups and service providers that were within his portfolio during Pollie Pedal,” he said.

“Through his participation in Pollie Pedal, Minister Andrews was also pleased to contribute to the important fundraising efforts of Carers Australia.”

Claiming travel allowances and flights in this way is allowed under the entitlements system, and the Department of Finance relies on the discretion of the politician to determine what is and isn’t official business.

Andrews claimed $432 on the first day of the ride and $357 per day for the next eight days as the ride took in Tamworth, Moree, Gunnedah, the Blue Mountains, and finished in Penrith.

Coulton claimed between $253 and $278 for electorate business on 9-10 August and 12-14 August, totalling $1,315.

Andrews also charged the taxpayer for his flights to and from Sydney costing $1,274.

Andrews’ wife travelled with him at the beginning and the end of the Pollie Pedal flying from Melbourne to Sydney on 8 August and back to Melbourne two days later at a cost of $1,274.

She returned to Sydney on 16 August, when the pollie pedal ended, and then returned with Andrews to Melbourne on 18 August with the round trip costing another $1,274.

The $2,549 worth of flights for Andrews’ wife around the time the Pollie Pedal began and ended flights were charged to the taxpayer as a ministerial expense.

A spokesman for Abbott defended the practice of claiming travel expenses for participating in the charity event, referring to Abbott’s comments in 2013.



“I don’t in any way apologise for claiming travel expenses for the Pollie Pedal because the Pollie Pedal is a perfectly legitimate form of engagement with the community,” Abbott said through the spokesman.

“It’s precisely the kind of engagement with the community that I think politicians who are serious about representing the people of Australia should have.”

His spokesman suggested contacting the CEO of Carers Australia about what Pollie Pedal has achieved for carers and their cause around Australia.

Fifeld said Pollie Pedal was run with the assistance of and benefit of Carers Australia which is a key peak organisation in his portfolio.

“While the pedallers cycled, I used the event as a backdrop in my role as the minister for disability, ageing and carers to meet people with disability, carers and older Australians as well as with the groups that support them,” he said.

“My travel was for the important portfolio business of meeting carers, older Australians and people with disability and their families in regions that don’t always have the same opportunity as metropolitan areas to meet with and be heard by their minister.”

Coulton was also contacted for comment.



Guardian Australia found no records of MPs from other parties who claimed expenses for taking part in the event.