Federal politicans rorting millions, audit finds
Article from:
Steve Lewis and Ben Packham
August 12, 2009 12:00am
FEDERAL politicians are rorting millions of dollars in taxpayer-funded entitlements under a parliament-wide scam uncovered by the Auditor-General.
The high-level inquiry has found widespread abuse of the generous printing allowance, worth up to $217,500 at the time of the 2007 election.
An audit of 144 MPs and senators from NSW, Victoria and Queensland found a "high proportion" had breached entitlement guidelines, using the allowance to bombard constituents with blatantly partisan material.
The Courier-Mail understands Rudd Government ministers and senior Coalition figures are among those caught out.
The Auditor-General, in a report to be released next month, will blow the lid on a system that has few outside checks. It is believed the probe has uncovered irregularities covering parliamentary entitlements, costing taxpayers up to $390 million a year.
These include generous allowances covering cars, travel, communications and general administration.
But the intense scrutiny has sparked a furious defence by Labor and Coalition MPs.
Special Minister of State Joe Ludwig has told the Auditor-General, Ian McPhee, that the present entitlements scheme was "overly complex".
Senator Ludwig declined to speak with The Courier-Mail, but in his letter he reveals plans by the Government to announce "wide-ranging reforms" to try to improve the system.
The Auditor-General's report, to be made public next month, is expected to find many MPs and senators are using the printing allowance for re-election purposes.
The report is also expected to find the scheme is open to abuse and lacks transparency. It is likely to urge the Parliament to overhaul the scheme, pointing to better models overseas.
Under current rules, MPs are granted a printing entitlement of $100,000 a year. This was reduced by the Rudd Government from a more generous threshold under the Howard government.
But the money is not supposed to be used to promote the direct re-election of individuals.
Brian Boyd, executive director of the Australian National Audit Office, has told MPs the probe found "the entitlement was being used for the main or only purpose of electioneering".
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull both declined to comment.
Former prime minister John Howard said he believed all printing at the last election was "fully within entitlements".
Article from:
Steve Lewis and Ben Packham
August 12, 2009 12:00am
FEDERAL politicians are rorting millions of dollars in taxpayer-funded entitlements under a parliament-wide scam uncovered by the Auditor-General.
The high-level inquiry has found widespread abuse of the generous printing allowance, worth up to $217,500 at the time of the 2007 election.
An audit of 144 MPs and senators from NSW, Victoria and Queensland found a "high proportion" had breached entitlement guidelines, using the allowance to bombard constituents with blatantly partisan material.
The Courier-Mail understands Rudd Government ministers and senior Coalition figures are among those caught out.
The Auditor-General, in a report to be released next month, will blow the lid on a system that has few outside checks. It is believed the probe has uncovered irregularities covering parliamentary entitlements, costing taxpayers up to $390 million a year.
These include generous allowances covering cars, travel, communications and general administration.
But the intense scrutiny has sparked a furious defence by Labor and Coalition MPs.
Special Minister of State Joe Ludwig has told the Auditor-General, Ian McPhee, that the present entitlements scheme was "overly complex".
Senator Ludwig declined to speak with The Courier-Mail, but in his letter he reveals plans by the Government to announce "wide-ranging reforms" to try to improve the system.
The Auditor-General's report, to be made public next month, is expected to find many MPs and senators are using the printing allowance for re-election purposes.
The report is also expected to find the scheme is open to abuse and lacks transparency. It is likely to urge the Parliament to overhaul the scheme, pointing to better models overseas.
Under current rules, MPs are granted a printing entitlement of $100,000 a year. This was reduced by the Rudd Government from a more generous threshold under the Howard government.
But the money is not supposed to be used to promote the direct re-election of individuals.
Brian Boyd, executive director of the Australian National Audit Office, has told MPs the probe found "the entitlement was being used for the main or only purpose of electioneering".
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull both declined to comment.
Former prime minister John Howard said he believed all printing at the last election was "fully within entitlements".