More Burke largesse

He is without doubt undisputed world champion at spending taxpayers money

Labor MP Tony Burke ‘sent jet on $6000 worth of flights with no passengers on board’


Labor MP scrutinized for chalking up three days of taxpayer-funded travel.© AP Image/Joel Carrett Labor MP scrutinized for chalking up three days of taxpayer-funded travel.
Labor frontbencher Tony Burke is again under scrutiny this morning with reports he chalked up $16,000 during three days of taxpayer-funded travel in 2010.
According to documents obtained by the former environment minister used one of the Prime Minister’s luxury jets to attend meetings that did not align with commercial flights.
Almost $6000 of the bill came when the plane reportedly travelled to and from Canberra with no passengers on board.
The Challenger jet reportedly flew empty from Canberra to Hobart, then to Newcastle and on to Dubbo for meetings before returning to Sydney.
Mr Burke’s office has reportedly told the newspaper he had no choice as commercial flights would not have got him to the meetings on time.
He has previously admitted claiming taxpayer money to fly his children business class to Uluru as environment minister in 2012 was "beyond community expectations".
Education minister Christopher Pyne is also under fire for flying his family business class on a 2009 holiday which cost taxpayers more than $5000.
Mr Pyne came to Mr Burke’s defence this week, suggesting the Member for Watson had not broken any rules.
"The rules are the rules and if people stay within the rules, you can't then criticise them," Mr Pyne said.
Mr Burke was heavy in his criticism of former Speaker Bronwyn Bishop over a taxpayer-funded helicopter flight, leading to her resignation.

http://www.msn.com/en-au/news/austr...o-passengers-on-board’/ar-BBluJLn?ocid=TSHDHP