Article: Politicians take gravy train for life

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Politicians take gravy train for life

Politicians take gravy train for life
Article from: The Courier-Mail

Rosemary Odgers

May 05, 2008 12:00am

FORMER Queensland politicians are taking flights and train trips that are costing taxpayers thousands of dollars every week.

Figures obtained from the Parliamentary Speaker's Office reveal during the past financial year, taxpayers were billed $209,000 for airfares and another $23,000 on train travel ? an average of $4400 a week.

Defeated or retired MPs who served at least seven years in office are entitled to one free return airfare to anywhere in Australia, New Zealand or Papua New Guinea every year for themselves and their spouses.

They can also take four interstate rail trips every year and don't need to give any reasons for their travel.

Speaker Mike Reynolds has refused to reveal the names of the former politicians taking the trips or release any information about where they travelled or the cost of individual trips.

He said naming the former MPs could leave them open to "ridicule" for a perk that was significantly less generous than that given to their federal counterparts.

"Unlike the Federal Parliament, which provides eligible former members with 25 flights each year and itemises each trip, the Queensland Parliament has a much more restricted system and provides only a single flight each year to eligible former members," Mr Reynolds said.

"Under Queensland's prudent regime I do not support the publication of travel details that would be used to publicly ridicule former members.

"Former members access this entitlement for a variety of reasons, including to attend conferences, community and business functions that they are invited to in their capacity as a former member."

Mr Reynolds said he expected the cost of the travel entitlement would rise in the future as the number of former MPs increased.

Under the rules, former MPs have to have been elected three times and served at least seven years in office to qualify for the airfare perk.

First-class tickets are allowed if the flight time is longer than three hours.

The same politicians also can be issued with a Railways of Australia Gold Pass or a Queensland Rail Gold Pass in addition to taking four return interstate rail trips a year.