STATEMENT ON ENTITLEMENTS FROM DARREN CHESTER
October 10, 2013
I take the issue of Parliamentary entitlements extremely seriously and I’m conscious of the need to provide value for money for taxpayers.
All Members of Parliament should comply with the guidelines and they should err on the side of caution.
I aim to be 100 per cent accurate with travel claims and if there’s any doubt about entitlements, my office seeks guidance from the Department of Finance.
The current rules are generally adequate but there are some grey areas which are open to interpretation and that is why we have asked for advice on several occasions. If in doubt, we don’t make a claim.
I am open and transparent about the travel I undertake and have nothing to hide from Gippslanders. I often post photos on social media or issue media statements so Gippslanders know what my job entails and can keep track of my movements, both within the region, and throughout Australia.
Gippsland is a large electorate and I try to make myself as accessible as possible by attending meetings, community events and functions. This inevitably incurs significant travel costs but the alternative is sitting in my office and asking people to travel to meet me which would be unsatisfactory.
The overall expense claims for all MPs are available for the public to inspect and include everything from staff wages, office operating expenses, travel claim information to all other costs associated with running a Parliamentarian’s office.
As a general rule, if mistakes are made, reimbursement should be prompt and steps taken to prevent a recurrence. If deliberate rorting is uncovered, prosecutions should follow.
In relation to overseas travel, I believe it is important that Federal MPs have a broader world view and understand complex international issues. Over the past five years, I’ve been to Asia on two occasions as part of official Parliamentary delegations and those visits have been declared in accordance with Parliamentary rules.
On both those visits, we had a full itinerary of meetings with political, business and community leaders and helped to build trade relationships in Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore and Taiwan.
Naturally, any overseas travel for holidays, or of a more personal nature, should be at the expense of the individuals concerned.
The current scrutiny of MPs expenses and entitlements is part of the democratic process and helps to ensure the necessary checks and balances in our open and accountable Parliamentary system.