ABC Boss Michelle Guthrie revealed to get taxpayer-funded first-class flights despite massive salary

ABC boss on near-$1 million salary can enjoy taxpayer funded first-class flights overseas AND a hotel allowance of almost $500 a night

ABC managing director revealed as entitled to taxpayer-funded first-class flights
28 Australian officials are entitled to first-class flights and a $430/night hotel
Michelle Guthrie is able to receive these benefits despite a $890,987 salary

By Alex Chapman For Daily Mail Australia

Published: 03:35 BST, 29 July 2018 | Updated: 03:44 BST, 29 July 2018

ABC managing director Michelle Guthrie has been revealed as one of 28 high-paid government officials entitled to free first-class flights at the expense of taxpayers.

An analysis of Remuneration Tribunal pay deals exposes government executives listed as ‘tier-one’ can expense their domestic or international first-class flights.

They are also entitled to a hotel allowance of up to $430 a night in Australian capital cities or overseas.

Michelle Guthrie (pictured), managing director of ABC, has been revealed as one of 28 high-paid government officials entitled to receive taxpayer-funded travel benefits

Michelle Guthrie (pictured), managing director of ABC, has been revealed as one of 28 high-paid government officials entitled to receive taxpayer-funded travel benefits

Another 24 executives were are listed as ‘tier-two’, meaning they are entitled to taxpayer-funded business-class flights.

The report from The Daily Telegraph reveals that Guthrie, outgoing SBS managing director Michael Ebeid and Australia Post CEO Christine Holgate are among the 28 officials receiving these benefits.

In December, the ABC disclosed the annual salary received by the top executives under the Renumeration Tribunal.

Ms Guthrie had been paid $890,987 in the 2016-2017 financial year.

‘I am the highest paid person at the ABC under a salary set by the Remuneration Tribunal,’ Ms Guthrie said in November.

'Tier-one' officials are entitled to first-class flights, while another 24 'tier-two' officials can fly business-class (stock image)

‘Tier-one’ officials are entitled to first-class flights, while another 24 ‘tier-two’ officials can fly business-class (stock image)

This comes only months after it was revealed taxpayers forked out $122million for public servants to fly business class across Australia and abroad in just a three month period.

If that trend continued for the rest of the financial year, taxpayers could have paid as much as half-a-billion dollars in flights for government officials.

It was a projection that has been annually rising since 2012-2013, in which $377.2million was spent.