Julie Bishop claimed $32,000 in taxpayers’ money for “family” travel by her long-term partner but has not declared his financial interests because she claims he is not her spouse.

On Wednesday Fairfax media reported the foreign minister had not listed her partner, David Panton, on her parliamentary register of interests.

Expenses records lodged with the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority and the finance department show that Bishop has claimed more than $32,000 in family travel since 2015.

A spokeswoman for Bishop told Guardian Australia: “David Panton is the minister’s nominated person for the purpose of domestic travel. The minister is compliant with the register of interests.”

Bishop maintains she is compliant with the rules because Panton is not her husband or de facto partner. The apparent inconsistency allows Panton, a property developer, to claim taxpayer-funded domestic travel without declaring financial interests – as spouses are required to do – including assets, income, directorships and gifts over the $300 threshold.

On Wednesday the IPEA released details of parliamentary expenses from October to December which show Bill Shorten was the biggest spender on family travel; the LNP MPs George Christensen and Stuart Robert spent the most on administrative costs; and the Labor MP Michael Danby repaid almost $5,000 in expenses.

Barnaby Joyce spent $215,500 in total expenses in the final quarter of 2017, behind major party leaders Bill Shorten and Malcolm Turnbull, who spent more than $800,000 each due to large employee travel costs.

Joyce’s spending included $73,700 on printing and communications before the New England byelection.

Joyce spent $1,591 on family travel in October but none in December, when he resumed his seat after winning the byelection.

This included $361 for a flight on October 11, $723 for two flights on October 13 and $506 for two flights on October 15, although the expense statement does not state which family member travelled with him.

The former deputy prime minister’s travel expenses are being audited by the IPEA after the revelation that he was having an affair with his former media adviser and now partner, Vikki Campion, before she left his office in April.

In the first nine months of 2017, Joyce spent 50 nights in Canberra when parliament was not sitting, charging taxpayers $16,690 in travel allowance. In the final quarter of 2017 he spent a further 11 nights in Canberra when parliament was not sitting.

Joyce charged taxpayers for children’s books including J K Rowling’s Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, which a spokesman said were for presentation to schools in New England.

Christensen spent $111,400 on office administrative costs, and was closely followed by the Liberal MP Stuart Robert, on $110,500. Both claimed large expenses for distribution, e-material or web services.

A spokeswoman for Christensen said: “These are all legitimate and approved costs associated with communicating with George’s constituents, and as these costs are cyclical, they’re higher in this quarter rather than others.”

The spokeswoman did not respond to questions about whether the material was published on social media or related to the marriage equality campaign, referring Guardian Australia to the IPEA record which does not include the content of communications or the method of distribution.

In the family travel category, Shorten was the biggest spender ($9,270) last quarter, followed by independent MP Bob Katter ($6,464) and the minister for aged care and Indigenous health, Ken Wyatt ($5,980).

Danby repaid $2,311 in domestic travel fares for four flights in July 2012, August 2012, January and February 2015; $394 in Comcar costs dating back to 2012; $883 for a hire car between 30 January and 5 February, 2015; and $1322 for family use of a Comcar in July 2012 and a family domestic flight in December 2017.

In January it was revealed that Danby charged taxpayers almost $15,000 for six trips to Queensland with his wife, despite not conducting parliamentary business on three of the trips.

Danby told Guardian Australia that he had paid for all personal travel and in instances where there were “administrative errors” they had been identified by internal audits and repaid before the news broke in January.