Attorney-General Michelle Rowland to Reimburse 2023 Family Trip Amidst Expense Controversy

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Attorney-General Michelle Rowland will repay a portion of expenses claimed for a 2023 trip, while Treasurer Jim Chalmers says Rowland has “done the right thing” in self-reporting spending.

Rowland is the first MP to pay back expenses following growing scrutiny on politicians’ spending, after she referred her travel to the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority (IPEA) for advice.

A spokesperson for the attorney-general said in a statement Rowland referred a trip from 2023 to Perth during which she had “at least 10 official engagements”.

It’s understood the expense was related to a family trip in July 2023 which cost taxpayers more than $21,600.

“The IPEA finalised its advice on Friday 12 December and conveyed a portion of the family reunion travel expenses were outside the guidelines,” the statement read.

The Attorney-General has taken decisive action, accepting formal advice as of Friday and initiating the process to make a repayment. This move comes amid scrutiny over travel expenditures, which has prompted a closer examination of parliamentary expenses.

A woman speaks to someone off-screen while a man watches on.

In a display of unity, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Communications Minister Anika Wells appeared together in Canberra on Thursday for a school visit. Their joint appearance underscores a commitment to transparency and accountability in their administration’s practices.

During a Sky News interview on Sunday morning, Jim Chalmers, a senior government minister, firmly dismissed suggestions that his colleague should resign over the expenses issue. He stood by the decision to address the matter through proper channels rather than through resignation.

“It’s important that as parliamentarians we’re not sort of deciding things for ourselves, because that would bring obvious criticism,” he said.

Opposition leader Sussan Ley has offered bipartisan support to reform the rules for politicians. Ley herself resigned in 2017 while serving as health minister after using taxpayer funds to fly to the Gold Coast to purchase property.

— With additional reporting from the Australian Associated Press.