BESIEGED federal Labor MP Craig Thomson took a $24,000 taxpayer-funded overseas study trip and then plagiarised much of his report to the government - presenting speeches by overseas officials and outdated Wikipedia articles as his own work.

A compilation of overseas travel reports tabled in Parliament on the authority of Special Minister of State Gary Gray last month also concealed Mr Thomson's failure to submit his report within the 30-day deadline set by the rules that govern MPs' overseas travel. The report was submitted more than four months late.

Craig Thomson. Credit:Andrew Meares

Mr Thomson spent at least $23,899 of his overseas travel entitlement on a 42-day tour, from March 26 to May 8, visiting Britain, Ireland, France, Spain and the US.

He subsequently sent Mr Gray a report titled The Global Financial Crisis - The European and US Experience - Lessons learnt and future expectations. More than two-thirds of the report's 33 pages, including most of its analysis and commentary, has been cut and pasted from internet sources.