Greens senator Lee Rhiannon is being paid $285 a night for travel expenses even though she only spends $25.
The millionaire daughter of senior Communist Party members pockets the remainder of the allowance given while Parliament is sitting in Canberra, as she is entitled to do.
Fellow senator Janet Rice is one of a number of Ms Rhiannon’s Greens colleagues who are understood to have similar arrangements in place to pay a minimum of rent.
Greens senator Lee Rhiannon (pictured) is being paid $285 a night for travel expenses even though she only spends $25
Ms Rhiannon was dumped from the top of the Greens’ senate ticket in November last year in favour of Mehreen Faruqi (pictured)after a falling out with her party in June
Ms Rhiannon was dumped from the top of the Greens’ senate ticket in November last year in favour of Mehreen Faruqi after a falling out with her party in June.
Ms Rhiannon nets $1040 a week from the excess allowance, supplementing her base salary of $199,040, The Daily Telegraph reported.
There is no suggestion from Daily Mail Australia that Ms Rhiannon is violating any rules, and she defended her behaviour as ‘acceptable’.
‘Any of my travel allowance that has not been used I have spent on carrying out other parliamentary work-related duties and other expenses arising from being an MP,’ she said.
Fellow senator Janet Rice (pictured) is one of a number of Ms Rhiannon’s Greens colleagues who are understood to have similar arrangements in place to pay a minimum of rent
‘A reimbursement model would be fine too.’
A spokesperson for Greens leader Senator Richard Di Natale responded to questions about travel entitlements by saying all Greens members follow set guidelines.
‘All of our members undertake official travel in accordance with the guidelines set out for Parliamentarians by the Department,’ the spokesperson said.
The news comes as Greens candidate for the upcoming by-election in the north Melbourne seat of Batman Alex Bhathal fends off a 101-page complaint.
The complaint made by 18 Greens members, representatives and volunteers includes demands Ms Bhathal be disendorsed and expelled from the party.
A spokesperson for Greens leader Senator Richard Di Natale (pictured) responded to questions about travel entitlements by saying all Greens members follow set guidelines
The factional infighting threatens to ruin the Greens’ chances of seizing the seat from Labor, after losing it by only 1853 votes in 2016.
Ms Rhiannon was embroiled in a similar stoush in June last year, and ended up being temporarily suspended from party room discussions.
Dr Faruqi then won a fierce preselection fight in November, making it unlikely Ms Rhiannon will be returned to the senate in the next federal election.
Daily Mail Australia contacted Lee Rhiannon, Janet Rice and Mehreen Faruqi for comment.
The news comes as Greens candidate for the upcoming by-election in the north Melbourne seat of Batman Alex Bhathal (pictured) fends off a 101-page complaint