Federal politicians using travel perks to bring their children to Canberra will lose access to business class fares from July, while former MPs will have fewer free flights to the capital after they leave Parliament.
The Commonwealth Remuneration Tribunal announced on Monday it had formalised a range of recommendations from the Turnbull government's independent review of the travel rules for politicians, triggered by revelations that Bronwyn Bishop had spent $5000 on a helicopter flight from Melbourne to Geelong.
These include reducing entitlements for dependent children to fly business class on three return flights to Canberra each year. Instead, dependent children will be entitled to fly on full-fare economy tickets from the member's home city.
The move is part of efforts to ensure travel entitlements for MPs do not "constitute an indulgence" paid for by taxpayers, but still allow politicians' family life to be maintained as the vast majority face being away from home for a minimum of 20 weeks each year.
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The changes will take effect from July 1.
Mrs Bishop was forced to issue an apology in July 2015 after a fortnight of intense criticism over revelations she had chartered a helicopter, at taxpayer expense, to take her from Melbourne to Geelong for a Liberal Party event in 2014.
MPs who are new mothers will have additional benefits under the changes, with existing rules allowing MPs who are breastfeeding a child to bring their spouse or nominated person on an economy ticket extended until the child's first birthday.
The tribunal said travel for parliamentary, electorate and official duties required new mums to travel away from support networks and the existing provisions could prove restrictive.
Former MPs who have retired from politics and who do not qualify for the controversial life gold pass entitlement, closed to new members in 2012 and abolished in February for all eligible MPs other than former prime ministers, will be allowed to claim three trips to Canberra to wind up their offices, within three months of leaving politics.
Under existing rules, they were entitled to five flights over six months but the tribunal said not all MPs used the entitlement and most didn't use all of the flights.
MPs in the largest seven electorates - Durack, Lingiari, Grey, O'Connor, Kennedy, Maranoa and Parkes - will continue to be able to claim travel allowance for nights spent at staging points outside their electorate during official business, as well as entitlements for second vehicles to cover their electorates.
"Subject to the passage of the Parliamentary Business Resources Bill 2017, the changes outlined above will either be made under the new Act or determined by the tribunal using its existing powers," the tribunal said in a statement.
"The tribunal continues to work with government on a number of outstanding recommendations from the review as well as complementary reforms announced by the Prime Minister in January 2017."
The independent review was chaired by Remuneration Tribunal president John Conde and former Finance department boss David Tune.
Former prime minister Tony Abbott ordered the review, with the Turnbull government endorsing its findings in March 2016.
After controversial travel claims by former health minister Sussan Ley, the government established a new independent parliamentary expenses agency in January.
The report revealed that in just one year, politicians spent $31.13 million on domestic and overseas travel, over an average of 1058 tickets a week.
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