This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

Taxpayers spent $2,600 for Barnaby Joyce to charter a flight between Melbourne and Horsham to spend three hours at a regional show alongside Nationals candidate Anne Webster in the lead-up to the election, according to figures obtained from the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority.

The flight, for a 299km trip each way, was claimed as part of Joyce’s work as special envoy for the drought when he went to regional Victoria for a day trip to open the Wimmera Machinery Field Day.

His presence at the event was controversial in the local Horsham community, with a resident starting a petition against the visit, criticising the former Nationals leader for disrespecting “the country and farmers” after he was embroiled in a scandal involving an affair with a former staffer.



It is also understood that some Nationals were concerned that Joyce’s appearance with Webster may not help her chances of election, given Joyce’s damaged reputation.

Barnaby Joyce spent $675,000 in expenses but less than three weeks on ground while drought envoy Read more

According to the expenses reports, taxpayers were charged $2,600 for the flight, along with connecting flights from Armidale to Melbourne costing about $2,000.

The charge is included in expenses reports published by the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority which show Joyce incurred $675,000 in expenses while engaged in the role, including his office expenses as a backbencher but excluding his salary and that of the two extra staff allocated to him in the role.

As revealed by Guardian Australia on Tuesday, Joyce spent less than three weeks on the ground in drought-affected communities outside his electorate despite being engaged in the role for nine months.

A spokesman for Joyce justified the charter flight to Horsham, saying the former Nationals leader was invited to open and be a guest speaker at the field day in his role as drought envoy.

Sign up to receive the top stories from Guardian Australia every morning

“Due to the heavy demands of his scheduling commitments as the drought envoy, a charter flight was deemed the most appropriate means of travel,” the spokesman said.

“Travelling the same distance by car would have taken nearly seven hours non-stop in a round trip.”

He said the charter flight was submitted to tender and the cheapest tender was selected. As part of the trip to Victoria, Joyce also held meetings with the Australian Dairy Farmers Limited , AUSVeg and Victorian Farmers Federation.

Labor calls for release of drought envoy reports Barnaby Joyce says he sent via text Read more

Joyce’s speech to the field day focused on trade and the role of farmers exporting primary produce.

He did not mention the drought.

Joyce promoted the event on his Facebook page, but Webster did not share any pictures or videos of his visit on her social media.

Ahead of the event, Joyce’s presence was criticised in the local press by local resident Daniel Ward who started a petition that secured more than 100 signatures against Joyce’s visit.

The event was in the electorate of Mallee, where the former MP Andrew Broad quit after his involvement in a sexting scandal with a woman he met on a “sugar baby” website.

“If the only man we can get to open our showcase of the Wimmera is a disrespected Nationals member from northern NSW, we might as well get Andrew Broad because at least he’s our local member,” Ward told the Wimmerra Mail Times.

Labor’s agriculture spokesman, Joel Fitzgibbon, said the revelations about the time Joyce had spent in drought-affected communities required the government to release the documents prepared by Joyce relating to his work.

“The prime minister has to explain to the Australian people what he sought to achieve by appointing Barnaby Joyce into this new position of drought envoy and what return on their investment did taxpayers receive as a result of any activities Barnaby Joyce undertook,” Fitzgibbon said.

“What’s pretty clear is that he didn’t do much and the prime minister can clear this up today by producing any correspondence between him and Barnaby Joyce.”