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Australian Ministers Report International Travel Costs for December 2024
Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles and Foreign Minister Penny Wong submitted expense reports for trips to the United States and other countries in December 2024. The Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority released the data last week.
The Sydney Morning HeraldAudio version
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Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles reported $99,308 in expenses for a week-long trip to Japan and the United States from December 5 to December 12, 2024. About one-third of the total was listed as ministerial fares. A spokeswoman for Marles stated that all travel conducted in his roles as defence minister or acting prime minister followed relevant guidelines and security procedures.
The report did not specify how many staff members accompanied him.
Wong reported $80,093 in expenses for a three-day trip to Qatar and the United States from December 7 to December 10, 2024. A spokeswoman for Wong said the travel was required to attend the annual Australia-United States Ministerial Consultations with Marles, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
92 in domestic travel expenses during the same period. The report did not disclose how many staff members joined either minister on the international trips.
The travel coincided with the Australia-United States Ministerial Consultations held in Washington DC on December 8, 2024. The Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority released the quarterly data last week.
