TRAVELLING members of the Newman Government ministry are being funded to eat and drink their way through $167 a day, without a requirement to produce a single receipt.

The Government has dropped caps on individual meal costs and the need to reconcile actual expenditure, which have previously caught out ministers claiming excessive booze bills.

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Under the new rules for daily travel allowance claims, ministers and assistant ministers will be paid a flat rate of $140.65 a day, regardless of what they eat or whether they have received free food at a function or on the government jet.

A further $26.05 will be paid for “incidentals” such as snacks, coffee and any personal items that are deemed necessary.

However the rule allowing ministers to rack up a $25-a-day minibar bill has been dumped.

The new daily travel rule has been incorporated in the latest Ministerial Handbook and follows an Australian Taxation Office determination linking the size of the food allowance with the employee’s paypacket.

The receipt-free new allowance system extends to staff travelling with ministers on overnight trips but is not available to regional Cabinet members while in Brisbane.

A spokesman for Premier Campbell Newman defended the new allowance arrangements, saying it was a “simplification” of the system.

“Travel allowances for ministers, assistant ministers and staff now mirror the allowances listed in the Commissioner of Taxation’s determination on reasonable travel meal allowance expense amounts as published on the Australian Taxation Office website,’’ he said.

The spokesman confirmed a boarding pass or hotel bill would need to be provided as proof of overnight travel rather than actual receipts for expenditure.

He said the Federal Government and businesses throughout Australia used the same ATO model.

Under the previous system, ministers were reimbursed for actual costs with “reasonable limits” set for each meal – $35 for breakfast, $50 for lunch and $70 for dinner.

Amounts exceeding the limits, or bills where the alcohol cost more than the food, were rejected by the Ministerial Services Branch which polices travel claims.

Previous ministers caught out include former climate change minister Andrew McNamara, who had to repay $6.50 for a Crown Lager, $1 for a toothbrush and $15 for an in-room movie.

Former police minister Judy Spence was caught overspending her minibar bill by $4, while former treasurer Andrew Fraser’s rejected bill for bottled water sparked the introduction of free water in ministerial limousines.