Labor frontbencher Tony Burke charged taxpayers $48,951 for a six-day ministerial trip to Europe, including first-class flights for a senior staffer.
The then-agriculture minister and his staffer Skye Laris, now his partner, attended a food security forum in Barcelona in 2009, The Australian reports.
Cabinet minister Christopher Pyne has unexpectedly come to the defence of Mr Burke, saying there's no point in taking pot-shots at individual cases.
Mr Pyne has also defended his own spending in claiming $7000 to fly his family business class to Canberra to see him being sworn in at the opening of parliament in 2013.
He's not the only one needing a belly warmer on those cold european nights. Sure a flannel covered hot water bottle could have done the trick but as far as wife's go, out with the old and in with the new. Forty eight grand for 6 day tour. Why didn't Burke get onto luxury escapes as i feel shafted having to pay for this. Not even a souvenir for us all.
I hope they are still together, in love and all that, and the staffer is not just not another turnstile tinder twiddler that latch onto these politicians. These guys attract groupies more than Randy Rhoads did in his heyday. Both sides are guilty of this largesse unfortunately.
