Australia’s living former prime ministers cost taxpayers almost $221,000 in just three months with their phone bills alone adding up to more than $3,600.
John Howard, who held the top job from 1996 to 2007, was the biggest spender, incurring office expenses of almost $62,000 during the first three months of this year, Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority records show.
The former Liberal leader’s office expenses were twice that for Bob Hawke ($30,178), Julia Gillard ($25,507) and Kevin Rudd ($29,039) when it came to office administration costs, including newspapers, and renting office space.
Four-time election winner John Howard was the most expensive former prime minister
John Howard’s office expenses were double that for Bob Hawke, Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard
Labor’s Bob Hawke also won four elections but his office expenses bill was half John Howard’s
Labor’s Paul Keating cost taxpayers $32,173 between January 1 and March 31, which included the biggest phone and internet bill of $1,118.
Tony Abbott, who remains a Liberal backbencher, isn’t yet entitled to a taxpayer funded office, beyond his Sydney electorate office, as he is still in parliament.
However, the expenses of the other living former prime ministers added up to $221,115 during the first quarter of 2017, which is more than the $203,000 base salary for a federal MP.
Their telephone and internet bills came to $3,612.
Labor’s Paul Keating had the biggest telephone and internet bill of $1,118 for the March quarter
Australia’s first female prime minister Julia Gillard had office expenses of more than $25,000
Do you want to know something? Kevin Rudd’s office expenses came to more than $29,000
However, this was nothing compared to the cost of their domestic airfares which added up to $14,607 on top of another $24,000 for their car costs, which includes a chauffeur driver and hire vehicles.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who earns $325,000 a year, has discretion over entitlements for his predecessors, who are entitled to a Life Gold Pass.
This entitles them to 10 domestic return airfares a year which cannot be used for commercial purposes.
The Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority was established in April and released its first quarterly report on Friday into the expenses of past and present politicians.
Special Minister of State Scott Ryan said taxpayers were entitled to know politicians spent their entitlements ‘appropriately and accountably’.