Recent scrutiny of parliamentary travel expenses has been overshadowed by events at Bondi Beach, but new documents reveal that Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles has been utilizing a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) 737 for travel, raising questions about cost and transparency.
RAAF Flights and FOI Battles
In August 2023, journalist Samantha Maiden reported that the then-Defence Minister – now Deputy Prime Minister – was involved in a decision to halt the public release of VIP flight information, coinciding with a $3.6 million bill for his own travel. The publication of VIP flights had been standard practice from the late 1960s until 2022, with reports made public after the event, and was not considered a security risk.
MWM (Michael West Media) has engaged in two Freedom of Information (FOI) requests with the Department of Defence to obtain flight details. The first, spanning from September 2023 to October 2024, resulted in Defence acknowledging that security concerns were not with the flights themselves, but with potential targeting of individuals connected to high office holders.
Recent Flights Under Scrutiny
A second FOI request, submitted in October 2024, focused on the Deputy Prime Minister’s last four flights. After initial obstruction and a threat to escalate the matter to the Information Commissioner, Defence released the information. Documents revealed a flight on September 23, 2024, from Avalon, 64 km from Melbourne airport, to Canberra, carrying two pilots, five security/support/defence staff, and numerous empty seats. The cost of a comparable business class commercial flight is approximately $1000.
Another flight on October 10, 2024, from Canberra to Avalon, transported the Deputy Prime Minister along with Resources Minister Catherine King, and MPs Libby Coker and Joanne Ryan, plus 13 additional security/support/defence staff, again with many empty seats.
Two further flights included a Sydney – Java (Indonesia) – Timor – Avalon trip from August 28-30, 2024, and a Melbourne to Port Villa flight on September 18, 2024, returning to Avalon the following day, both utilizing the RAAF’s smaller Falcon executive jet.
Historical Precedent and Potential Next Steps
The situation draws parallels to the case of Bronwyn Bishop, who faced criticism in 2015 for using a helicopter for a relatively short trip and subsequently lost her position as Speaker of the House. However, the documents suggest the cost of Marles’ RAAF flights may exceed Bishop’s expenses.
The Prime Minister has requested the Independent Parliamentary Expense Authority (IPEA) to review parliamentary travel entitlement rules. MWM continues to investigate, with a further FOI lodged to examine practices within the Prime Minister’s Office. Should further documentation reveal a pattern of excessive or unjustified use of RAAF resources, it could lead to increased public pressure for stricter regulations and greater transparency. It is also possible that the Deputy Prime Minister’s office will defend the use of RAAF flights as necessary for security or logistical reasons.
Frequently Asked Questions
What prompted the release of these flight details?
The flight details were released following two Freedom of Information (FOI) requests submitted by MWM to the Department of Defence, and subsequent appeals to the Information Commissioner and a threat to escalate to the Administrative Review Tribunal.
What was Defence’s initial justification for withholding the information?
Defence initially argued that releasing the flight details could pose a security risk, specifically citing concerns about identifying individuals with close ties to high office holders and making them targets for cyber surveillance.
What types of RAAF aircraft were used in these flights?
The flights in question utilized both a Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) – a 737 – and a Dassault Falcon 7X executive jet.
Given the ongoing debate surrounding parliamentary travel expenses, what level of transparency do you believe is appropriate for the use of taxpayer-funded resources?
