Education Minister Simon Birmingham has distanced himself from three of his ministerial colleagues by revealing today that he made no entitlements claims relating to Malcolm Turnbull's New Year's Eve function in 2015 - reversing a statement his office provided to SBS News on Monday.
SBS News reported yesterday that to attend a private New Year's Eve function hosted by Malcolm Turnbull at the official residence Kirribilli House in 2015. The four ministers reported were Senator Birmingham, Attorney-General George Brandis, Immigration Minister Peter Dutton and Communications Minister Mitch Fifield. The office of each Minister confirmed to SBS News yesterday that entitlements claims made over this period were related to the New Year’s Eve function.
22 ministers were invited to the Prime Minister’s Kirribilli House reception. SBS News could find no records of any other ministers claiming entitlements for the trip to Sydney to attend.
After a response was provided to SBS News yesterday, staff in Senator Birmingham's office made more thorough checks of the Senator's records. They found that the only entitlement claimed by the Senator for the period - a single Cabcharge for $62.53 - was not used to go to or from the Prime Minister’s function, but was instead used for an afternoon meeting with New South Wales state government parliamentarians.
A new statement provided to SBS on Tuesday stated that “the Minister attended an official function at Kirribilli House with the Prime Minister while on a privately funded trip to Sydney".
“The Minister claimed a single cab charge for travel to a meeting during the afternoon of 31 December but all other aspects of the trip, including flights between Adelaide and Sydney and accommodation, were self-funded by the Minister," it reads.
Entitlements claims for the period covering the party, just months after Mr Turnbull assumed his prime ministership, were only revealed last month.
Immigration Minister Peter Dutton flew from Brisbane on December 31st, returning on January 1st, and claimed flights, COMCAR costs and a $468 travel allowance to attend.
Attorney-General George Brandis was in Sydney between December 30th and January 1st, and claimed flights, COMCAR and travel allowance for two days.
Communications Minister Mitch Fifield claimed COMCAR costs and flights for himself and a family member to fly to and from Melbourne for the evening, flying to Sydney on December 31 and back on January 1st.
Spokespeople for the three ministers all confirmed the entitlements claims were based around attendance at the event, and all described it as an "official function".
The Government's Entitlements Handbook states ministers can claims flights, car travel and a travel allowance only for "official business”.
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