Australian MPs claiming thousands on taxpayer-funded trips for official ‘parliamentary duties’ that coincide with sporting events

Transparency International calls for tightening of rules but MPs claim the events help them connect with stakeholders

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MPs and senators are claiming thousands of taxpayer dollars on interstate trips for official “parliamentary duties” that coincide with major sporting events they’ve been invited to, raising questions about whether the rules need to be further tightened.

Guardian Australia has found a number of examples in the latest batch of parliamentary expenses for the period between October and December 2022 where federal politicians travelled to attend sporting events in addition to their usual “parliamentary duties”.

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