Karl Stefanovic has called out Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull for claiming over $1,000 in accommodation costs that were provided to him for free.
The prime minister had claimed $1130 for two nights in remote indigenous communities in South Australia, News Corp Australia reported.
Stefanovic challenged Defence Minister Chris Pyne on the issue on the Today Show on Friday morning.
‘Why do you claim for something you haven’t been invoiced with?’ he asked Pyne.
The Defence Minister brushed away the question, saying Turnbull was ‘perfectly entitled’ to make the claim.
‘The problem was he wasn’t issued with an invoice. He has asked for an invoice [from the SA government]. He will pay the invoice correctly. It’s an administrative issue and not a big story,’ he told Nine Network.
Stefanovic challenged Defence Minister Chris Pyne on the issue on the Today Show on Friday morning
The Prime Minister had claimed $1130 for two nights in remote indigenous communities in South Australia
Turnbull spent two nights in Umuwa and Scotdesco in October, which included accommodation provided free.
The accommodation at Umuwa was paid for by the SA government and the lodging at Scotdesco costs just $60 a person.
Mr Pyne also said Mr Turnbull’s travel allowances claim would have been done by his office rather than him personally.
‘I doubt very much the Prime Minister is sitting around doing travel allowances on a daily basis, that would have been done in his office. They would have gone through the normal processes and nobody pointed out there was no invoice,’ Pyne said.
As soon as it was pointed out they requested one. It will be paid, it’s no different to any other claim.’
Stefanovic said he wasn’t ‘personally blaming’ Turnbull but could see why the public would be upset by the revelations.
‘This is the sort of thing that does rattle people’s nerves,’ he said.
Stefanovic said he wasn’t ‘personally blaming’ Turnbull but could see why the public would be upset by the revelations. ‘This is the sort of thing that does rattle people’s nerves,’ he said
Labor frontbencher Anthony Albanese said either Mr Turnbull or his office had made a mistake. ‘They need to fix it up,’ he said
Labor frontbencher Anthony Albanese said either Mr Turnbull or his office had made a mistake.
‘They need to fix it up,’ he told Nine Network.
The cost for accommodating four people in Umuwa is understood to be $360.
A spokesman for Mr Turnbull said the prime minister’s office ‘acted within the rules at all times’.