The practice of politicians “double dipping” on taxpayer-funded travel allowances has been called into question by independent Senator Nick Xenophon today, amidst Joe “Get A Good Job” Hockey’s controversial comments this week.
According to the ABC, Xenophon has urged the government to enforce greater transparency among politicians’ use of their requisite $270-per-night living-away-from-home allowance when visiting Canberra – questioning some politicians’ funnelling of the allowance into their own mortgages on Canberra residences.
Xenophon claimed that requiring transparency on taxpayers’ funds wasn’t an unreasonable ask.
“If an MP is using their allowance to pay off a home for themselves or for their spouse, I don’t think it’s unfair to require transparency.”
Xenophon also questioned the Treasurer’s comments from this week.
“I certainly hope that the Government isn’t hinting that if you’re a property owner that’s good and if you’re a renter that’s not so good. It just seems to me that the Government might be putting their lips on that dog whistle when it comes to property ownership and that’s not a good thing.”
Attempting to control damages and hose the increasingly volatile fire that was Hockey’s “get a good job” comments, Prime Minister Tony Abbott claimed on 2GB this morning that house ownership—while paying off students debts—is “not impossible” in the current market, but added, “it’s not easy, no doubt about that.“
Earlier this year, Treasurer Joe Hockey was grilled by presenter Tony Jones on his current residence in Canberra, citing Hockey’s expenditure of over $100,000 on rent in his Canberra home – a property which is owned by his wife. Hockey claimed, “I don’t know, I pay rent” when asked if rental money was used by his wife to pay off the property’s mortgage.
Lead image by Stefan Postles via Getty.
