Newly revealed receipts show former Prime Minister Tony Abbott spent more than $7000 of taxpayer cash on alcohol during his last two months as Prime Minister.

Last year, federal staffers blocked the release of Mr Abbott's wine list, claiming the former Prime Minister’s 'beverage preferences' were a matter of personal privacy.

View photos Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott spent a grand total of $7,340 on wine over eight weeks last year. Photo: AAP More





Yesterday, the Australian Information Commissioner agreed to expose the material under freedom of information laws after Labor Senator Penny Wong spent 13 months fighting for the release of the receipts.

The receipts reveal the former Prime Minister's office, led by chief of staff Peta Credlin, spent a total of $7340 over eight weeks from February to April last year.

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The PMC also managed to spent more than $1800 at one bottle shop alone, while the cost of other bottles purchased totaled $1700 and $1100.

The receipts showed a preference for locally-sourced and leading Canberra wine label Clonakilla, with $35 bottles of Hilltops Shiraz and Riesling.

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Oakridge chardonnay The Parish and Margaret River-based Devil's Lair were also purchased.

The exposure took five months longer than the statutory 30-day reply period for the war to come to an end after Mr Abbott's then department took six months to respond to Senator Wong's request.

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