EDUCATION minister Adrian Piccoli­ spent $20,000 on a taxpayer-funded trip to Vietnam with his wife to witness NSW TAFE boss Pam Christie sign a memorandum of understanding — six months after Ms Christie had already gone to Vietnam and signed the agreement.

Documents obtained under freedom of information also show Mr Piccoli’s office requested a stop-off in Singapore and that the department find some “school-related business”. An email from ministerial staffer Terri Connellan last September said the minister “would like an itinerary … with some travel options …” for the Ho Chi Minh City trip.

“There is an option he could do some school-related business in Singapore,” she said. Department official Melissa Power replied that there was “no schools-related business in Singapore”.

Deputy Opposition Leader Linda Burney yesterday said: “Adrian Piccoli­ needs to explain how this extravagant trip to Vietnam with his wife was not simply a rort of taxpayer dollars rather than a legitimate trip.”

The minister’s office yesterday confirmed that when the pilot program he launched in Ho Chi Minh City commences in late April, just two NSW TAFE teachers will take part “delivering a train the trainer program for Vietnamese teachers”.

The agreement will also be funded by TAFE, although Mr Piccoli’s office­ argues “the agreements are expected to contribute future revenue”. There are just 400 Vietnamese TAFE students in NSW.

The Vietnam trip from November 30 to December 4 caused controversy because Mr Piccoli did not inform Premier Barry O’Farrell his wife would accompany him, as required by ministerial travel rules.

Mrs Piccoli, who used her maiden name Casanova on the trip, paid for her own flights but shared Mr Piccoli’s taxpayer-funded accommodation. The documents also show an offer for Mrs Piccoli to be taken “sightseeing and/or shopping”. Her response was blacked out in the FOI documents obtained by The Daily Telegraph. The minister’s office said the offer was never taken up.

The original documentation shows Mr Piccoli proposed the trip to see “an MOU progressed”, and that the “MOU was signed in May 2013 by Pam Christie, managing directo­r of TAFE NSW”.

The emails show Mr Piccoli originally intended to travel with Ms Christie in May but did not make it so appears to have organised the November trip.

Prior to November, officials had queried why Mr Piccoli wanted to fly Jetstar via Singapore rather than straight to Ho Chi Minh City, like Ms Christie.

Mr Piccoli’s spokesman yesterday said: “The visit included the signing of a contract to deliver (TAFE) and English language programs to three vocational colleges in HCMC. This contract originated from the MOU ... signed in May.”

Explaining the Singapore stopover, the spokesman said Mr Piccoli chose that route because “he chooses to fly Qantas where possible to support Australian business. Qantas/Jetstar flights to Vietnam go through Singapore. The minister and his wife did not leave the terminal.”