The defence department has stopped providing details about the use of taxpayer-funded VIP jets to Australia’s independent expenses watchdog, leaving it unable to recover funds from the offices of MPs who use them to ferry electorate staff and family across the country.
The defence department in 2021 suddenly ceased publicly releasing details about politicians’ use of its fleet of business jets, citing potential security threats. The lack of transparency has denied journalists the ability to scrutinise how politicians are using the costly special purpose aircraft fleet.
But freedom of information documents also reveal that defence has stopped providing passenger details to the expenses watchdog, the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority. It appears to have ceased providing passenger manifests for the flights to Ipea in December 2021.
The defence department has primary responsibility for overseeing the use of its fleet of jets, preventing misuse, and making sure politicians and their staff use them in accordance with its guidelines.
But Ipea has a key role to play in recovering funds from the offices of MPs who should be paying out of their own pockets for using the expensive jet fleet, thought to cost roughly $4,600 an hour.
Ipea will recover money directly from an MP’s office travel budget where they have used the jets to ferry electorate staff, spouses of non-office holders, and dependents around the country.
The FoI documents suggest this is a common occurrence. In 2019-20 and 2020-21 alone, Ipea billed MPs more than $38,000 in travel after reviewing passenger manifests provided by defence.
A spokesperson confirmed that the latest information it had received from the defence department about use of its jet fleet was from 2021.
“IPEA undertakes budget allocation and recovery action based on information provided by Defence,” the spokesperson said. “The most recent information related to 2021. Discussions with Defence relating to the SPA are ongoing.”
Defence did not respond to a request for comment by deadline.
The department has also withheld reports about the jets’ use from the public since August 2021. The last disclosures were for those taken between July and December 2020.
The department has previously said that it was reviewing its practice of releasing details about the flights due to security concerns. That review was being conducted with the Australian federal police and the Department of Finance.
“This review will ensure that security considerations are balanced with the need to remain accountable and transparent in the use of a public asset,” a spokesperson said this year.
Both reporting systems are frequently used by news outlets, including Guardian Australia, to examine MP’s expense claims and hold them to account. In 2020 the Guardian used the report to expose how the then deputy prime minister, Michael McCormack, had taken a private RAAF jet to Melbourne before the Melbourne Cup. A spokeswoman for McCormack at the time said the independent parliamentary expenses authority had confirmed the travel claims were within the rules.
Then home affairs minister Peter Dutton also used the RAAF jet to fly to Tasmania before a grants announcement for CCTV systems for two councils during the 2018 Braddon byelection campaign. A spokesperson for Dutton confirmed at the time that the flights were in accordance with the guidelines.
