Welp, that didn’t take long. Health Minister Sussan Ley has stood aide from her role without pay after she claimed taxpayer money on a trip to the Gold Coast, on which she purchased a $795K investment property. You know, as you do. Pressure had been mounting as News Corp papers revealed it was only one example of potentially questionable trips Ms Ley had taken on the taxpayer’s dime.
STATEMENT from PM Turnbull: Ley to stand down pic.twitter.com/pEfqjGVZ8h
— Karen Barlow (@KJBar) January 8, 2017
It’s not an admission that I’ve broken the rules and I’m very confident that the investigations will demonstrate that no rules were broken whatsoever. But I also recognise the pub test and that for people who live in my electorate, who work hard, this has a look that I don’t understand those issues and in fact the opposite is the case.In hindsight, the character of my visit to the Gold Coast changed the moment I unexpectedly was the successful bidder at that auction.
‘I’ll provide all info to the two independent investigations. It’s not always appropriate for ministers to release all their diaries’- Ley pic.twitter.com/TJZImPhiZu
— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) January 8, 2017