Queensland

Queensland's regional politicians spending $90,000 each on travel

The western Queensland electorates of Mount Isa, Gregory, Warrego and Dalrymple together cover an area larger than Egypt - and the cost of travel for their MPs tops the list.

Member for Mt Isa Robbie Katter - whose electorate is larger than Thailand - spent $71,419.08 on general travel and $22,140.66 on "air warrant" travel in 2015-16, according to reports tabled in Queensland's parliament.

Robbie Katter and Shane Knuth, covering regional areas of Queensland, have some of the highest travel costs for 2015-16.
Robbie Katter and Shane Knuth, covering regional areas of Queensland, have some of the highest travel costs for 2015-16. Photo: Supplied

The general travel allocation includes the costs of airfares, a daily travel allowance, car hire, taxis, rail and other costs. 

Members representing certain regional electorates are also provided with an allocation of "air warrants" to allow travel between their electorate and Brisbane.

They are entitled to use alternate options when commercial air travel is unsuitable, such as charter flights or private air travel.

Mr Katter said the sheer size of his electorate meant he was often on the road, and charter flights were not cheap.

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"I'll be going on a 20-hour return trip next week to visit one of the towns in my electorate - I'll be driving 20 hours for one trip, 10 hours one way and 10 hours back," Mr Katter said.

"You apply that to someone in a seat closer to the coast, they're in phone range a lot longer, they don't have to drive as much."

The state electoral boundaries are being reviewed, with the number of districts to increase from 89 to 93.

Mr Katter said he was concerned his electorate would become larger as part of the redistribution, due to diminishing populations out west.

"I think everyone in Queensland should be against that because if Mount Isa doesn't grow, the Queensland economy doesn't grow," he said.

Mr Katter said he was training to get his pilot's licence and had also paid $8000 out of his own pocket to keep travel costs down.

Member for Dalrymple and fellow Katter's Australian Party member Shane Knuth spent $71,798.64 on general travel and $23,145.75 on air warrant travel.

LNP member for Warrego Ann Leahy spent $73,937.71 on general travel, $16,058.14 on airfares and $1077.27 on alternate travel.

LNP member for Gregory Lachlan Millar spent $68,404.91 on general travel and $14,760.62 on air warrant travel.

An Opposition spokeswoman said the distribution of travel allowances were a matter for the Parliament.

"However, it's important for our regional MPs to travel, particularly when their electorates are so large and remote," the spokeswoman said.

"For example, the Warrego and Gregory electorates are both more than four times the size of Tasmania."

Meanwhile, several former politicians have taken advantage of travel perks, racking up $295,820.54 in the past financial year.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk's father Henry, a former MP, spent $8779.20 and former Labor MP Jon Sullivan spent the most at $9669.60.

Conversely, former premiers Anna Bligh, Peter Beattie and Campbell Newman did not claim any travel benefits.

Former state MPs who served three terms in parliament are entitled to one free return flight for themselves and their partner or approved relative anywhere in Australia, Papua New Guinea or New Zealand each year, provided the flight departs from Queensland.

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