Politician Expenses You Don't Know About

The information below outlines the reported expenses spent by almost every Australian Parliamentarian on Office Facilities, Office Administrative Costs and Employee Costs. The reported expenses account for the period in between January 2020 to September 2020.

I must note that I did not include Western Australia MPs and Senators due to time constraints, it took me over 6 hours to sum up and compute quarterly reports of expenditure of the Parliamentarians. Omitted expenditures are reflective of those listed below.

I must point out that some Parliamentarians may not seem to overspend in one category but have overspent in other categories; each Parliamentarian spent an average of over $300,000.00 with each category accounted for combined. Parliamentarians mentioned below have collectively spent $34,777,370.00. Again, not every Parliamentarian has been mentioned here, Western Australia MPs and Senators have not been included. Also not included are other expenses such as Travel Allowance, Overseas Travel, Domestic Scheduled Fares, Unscheduled Travel, Other Car Costs, Telecommunications and Family Travel Costs.

Office Facilities

Office Facilities expenses are payments made for the following:

• Office Equipment
• Office Security
• Property operating expenses: including lease, power, cleaning
• Repairs and maintenance: of both property and its fixtures
• Telecommunications - purchases: the purchase of, servicing, repairs and maintenance of telecommunications
• Privately Leased Office

I made the effort to take a look at the office locations of some of these Parliamentarians and I can’t help but to question the amount of money being spent on some of these offices. It would be appropriate to assume that based on the size and location of some of these offices, rent would cost between $50,000.00 to $60,000.00 in rent per annum. Also, keep in mind the expenses below only account for the period beginning in January 2020 ending in September 2020.

New South Wales MPs and Senators

• Anthony Albanese: $464,593
• Andrew Leigh: $214,261
• Alicia Payne: $96,124
• Zed Seselja: 150,286
• David Smith: $106,737
• John Alexander: $223,986
• Tim Ayres: $234,046
• Sharon Bird: $167,733
• Chris Bowen: $139,235
• Andrew Bragg: $225,659
• Tony Burke: $153,603
• Linda Burney: $125,046
• Jason Clare: $98,348
• David Coleman: $203,840
• Patrick Conaghan: $123,574
• Mark Coulton: $193,204
• Justine Elliot: $140,437
• Jason Falinksi: $180,118
• Mehreen Faruqi: $184,056
• Paul Fletcher: $345,537
• Alex Hawke: $356,776
• Hollie Hughes: $256,959
• Kristina Keneally: $325,241
• Susan Ley: $327,971
• Michael McCormack: $487,571
• Melissa McIntosh: $103,944
• Scott Morrison: $163,079
• Marise Payne: $362,127
• Tanya Plibersek: $206,398
• Dave Sharma:$292,330
• Zali Steggall: $161,177
• Meryl Swanson: $136,340
• Angus Taylor: $252,533
• Susan Templeman: $128,160
• Matt Thistlethwaite: $198,330
• Trent Zimmerman: $301,641
  

Queensland MPs and Senators

• Karen Andrews: $198,045
• Angie Bell: $90,684
• Peter Dutton: $214,413
• George Christensen: $119,933
• Jim Chalmers: $120,209
• Pauline Hanson: $89,893
• Michelle Landry: $140,888
• David Littleproud: $294,778
• Ted O'Brien: $113,795
• Keith Pitt: $95,700
• Stuart Robert: $141,055
• Phillip Thompson: $84,137
• Murray Watt: $66,556
• Anika Wells: $127,820
• Terry Young: $87,073

South Australian MPs and Senators

• Nicole Flint: $94,697
• Tony Pasin: $114,628
• Rowan Ramsey: $129,406
• Amanda Rishworth: $103,363
• Anne Ruston: $119,252
• Rebekha Sharkie: $135,139
• James Stevens: $65,008
• Penny Wong: $136,791
• Tony Zappia: $85,448

Tasmanian MPs and Senators

• Andrew Wilkie: $105,857

Victorian MP and Senators

• Katie Allen: $89,036
• Kevin Andrews: $84,980
• Adam Bandt: $291,609
• Russel Broadbent:$106,444
• Josh Burns: $140,569
• Darren Chester: $160,776
• Libby Coker: $95,635
• Mark Dreyfus: $149,417
• Damian Drum: $73,003
• Helen Haines: $114,733
• Greg Hunt: $162,451
• Ged Kearney: $143,310
• Daniel Mulino:$79,471
• Clare O'Neil:$136,889
• Bill Shorten: $147,159
• Tony Smith: $172,911
• Michael Sukkar: $125,814
• Dan Tehan: $189,353
• Kate Thwaites: $116,047
• Alan Tudge: $177,464
• Anne Webster: $117,876
• Tim Wilson: $122,280
• James Wood: $112,547

Office Supplies

Office Administrative Cost expenses are payments made for the following:

• Office Consumables and Services
• Printing and Communications
• Publications
• Telephonic Services
• Specified Public Resources

The below expenses pertaining to the above are hilarious.

New South Wales MPs and Senators

• Anthony Albanese: $152,026                   
• Andrew Leigh: $208,926
• Alicia Payne: $251,077
• Zed Seselja: $86,431
• David Smith: $245,020
• John Alexander: $152,381
• Tim Ayres: $105,493     
• Sharon Bird: $163,118
• Chris Bowen: $203,813                   
• Andrew Bragg: $82,435                 
• Tony Burke: $82,051
• Linda Burney: $167,579
• Jason Clare: $220,547 
• David Coleman: $219,166
• Patrick Conaghan: $188,150 
• Mark Coulton: $143,627
• Justine Elliot: $221,482               
• Jason Falinksi: $226,602                           
• Mehreen Faruqi: $81,209                                           
• Paul Fletcher: $165,850                                           
• Alex Hawke: $173,947                                           
• Hollie Hughes: $105,877                               
• Kristina Keneally: $77,443                     
• Susan Ley: $81,720                                         
• Michael McCormack: $145,515                       
• Melissa McIntosh: $255,774                       
• Scott Morrison: $192,115                                             
• Marise Payne: $111,644                     
• Tanya Plibersek: $216,030                     
• Dave Sharma: $187,601
• Zali Steggall: $173,601
• Meryl Swanson: $177,583                     
• Angus Taylor: $243,592                       
• Susan Templeman: $230,933                       
• Matt Thistlethwaite: $249,061                       
• Trent Zimmerman: $142,680 
  

Queensland MPs and Senators

• Karen Andrews: $211,681                       
• Angie Bell: $215,084 
• Peter Dutton: $216,023                     
• George Christensen: $233,323                     
• Jim Chalmers: $143,560                   
• Pauline Hanson: $98,136
• Michelle Landry: $181,183                       
• David Littleproud: $135,913                                                                                     
• Ted O'Brien: $237,278                       
• Keith Pitt: $178,794                       
• Stuart Robert: $225,084                       
• Phillip Thompson: $193,719 
• Murray Watt: $105,580                     
• Anika Wells: $126,631                     
• Terry Young: $179,198                       

South Australia MPs and Senators

• Nicole Flint: $182,919                       
• Tony Pasin: $189,623                       
• Rowan Ramsey: $126,827                     
• Amanda Rishworth: $179,574 
• Anne Ruston: $45,997
• Rebekha Sharkie: $234,411 
• James Stevens :$189,697
• Penny Wong: $63,928 
• Tony Zappia: $154,746 

Tasmania MPs and Senators

• Andrew Wilkie: $143,926                         

Victoria MPs and Senators

• Katie Allen: $240,360 
• Kevin Andrews: $182,509                       
• Adam Bandt: $159,463 
• Russel Broadbent: $208,945 
• Josh Burns: $178,941                     
• Darren Chester: $142,960                     
• Libby Coker: $193,348   
• Mark Dreyfus: $155,928 
• Damian Drum: $185,064
• Helen Haines: $233,75
• Greg Hunt: $173,533                       
• Ged Kearney: $193,049                     
• Daniel Mulino: $170,221                     
• Clare O'Neil: $179,107                     
• Bill Shorten: $254,177                     
• Tony Smith: $98,192 
• Michael Sukkar: $141,927                       
• Dan Tehan: $139,746 
• Kate Thwaites: $162,037 
• Alan Tudge: $189,896                       
• Anne Webster: $234,100
• Tim Wilson: $206,144
• James Wood: $198,082   

Employee Costs

Employee Cost expenses are payments made for expenses incurred by employees in carrying out their duties, costs such as: 

• Motor Vehicle Allowance
• Travelling Allowance
• Domestic Scheduled Fares
• Cabcharge
• Other Car Costs
• Parking

Again, bear in mind that Australia was in lockdown for the majority of the period between January and September 2020.

New South Wales MPs and Senators

• Anthony Albanese: $531,120   
• Tim Ayres: $192,331           
• Chris Bowen: $33,032         
• Andrew Bragg: $17,506         
• Tony Burke: $41,978 
• Linda Burney: $48,852         
• Jason Clare: $44,449
• David Coleman: $54,410
• Patrick Conaghan: $21,966
• Mark Coulton: $66,239               
• Mehreen Faruqi: $22,098     
• Paul Fletcher: $173,055         
• Alex Hawke: $66,824           
• Hollie Hughes: $17,807       
• Kristina Keneally: $90,815     
• Susan Ley: $116,480
• Michael McCormack: $313,362         
• Melissa McIntosh: $13,047
• Scott Morrison: $836,966     
• Marise Payne: $145,336     
• Tanya Plibersek: $47,852     
• Dave Sharma: $18,723
• Zali Steggall: $60,564
• Meryl Swanson: $10,571     
• Angus Taylor: $117,079                 
• Trent Zimmerman: $12,595

Queensland MPs and Senators

• Karen Andrews: $114,323     
• Angie Bell: $13,442
• Peter Dutton: $166,857       
• George Christensen: $13,185       
• Jim Chalmers: $25,911       
• Pauline Hanson: $126,237               
• Michelle Landry $35,543     
• David Littleproud: $118,417           
• Kieth Pitt: $102,284 
• Stuart Robert: $166,250       
• Phillip Thompson: $193,719
• Murray Watt: $33,092       

South Australia MPs and Senators        

• Nicole Flint: $24,299           
• Tony Pasin: $16,363
• Rowan Ramsey: $34,398     
• Amanda Rishworth: $10,831
• Anne Ruston: $185,719
• Rebekha Sharkie: $43,779
• Penny Wong: $117,039
• Tony Zappia: $7,438         

Tasmania MPs and Senators

•  Andrew Wilkie:  $49,993     

Victoria MPs and Senators

• Katie Allen: $6,897
• Kevin Andrews: $17,407     
• Adam Bandt: $88,129
• Josh Burns: $13,747
• Darren Chester: $52,260   
• Libby Coker: $11,499
• Mark Dreyfus: $26,241
• Damian Drum: $38,374
• Helen Haines: $50,578
• Greg Hunt: $173,180
• Ged Kearney: $11,532           
• Daniel Mulino: $9,666     
• Clare O'Neil: $10,719       
• Bill Shorten: $55,035       
• Tony Smith: $7,970
• Michael Sukkar: $168,508
• Dan Tehan: $118,415
• Kate Thwaites: $8,192
• Alan Tudge: $131,574         
• Anne Webster: $16,179
• Tim Wilson: $7,598
• James Wood: $48,595

Opinion

Parliamentarians are elected by you, the public on the basis of their knowledge, experience, political expertise and skills. It does not cost them a single dollar to implement these skills. The elected public servants are generously paid to implement their political expertise, the starting salary for parliamentarians is $211,250, a percentage increase is applied if a parliamentarian is in a ministerial position and so forth. But give a person a fraction of one parliamentarian's expenditure and they would organise and build a heaven on earth for themselves and their family. Do you see the issue here? They don't want you to have money so you can keep slaving away. They make you feel bad about yourself through media programmes resulting in the widespread reliance on governments.

For example, the Federal Government spent $200 billion on defence amid growing tensions with China. The tensions were exacerbated by a rift between Australian and Chinese Government Officials on Twitter over a tweet. 10% percent of the Australian population would have the sound economic knowledge to be able attribute the tensions to economic mechanisms and events. Even so, economics is pure speculation therefore even economists can't determine for certain that economic tensions justify $200 billion being spent on defence. The other 90% of the population justify the spending of $200 billion on the back of a twitter spat. Want advice on how to win a battle on twitter? Visit a girl's year 8 class for advice on how to win a war on twitter.

These Parliamentarians actually believe you are so dumb and fear-ridden that you won't question the above expenditures! That is what bothers me most. Hundreds of dollars are taxed from your pay every week, the least you can do is go down to your local MP's office and ask staff to explain to you how and why your tax paid is spent towards the particular office they are in. Also keep in mind that the majority of these parliamentarians have been in the same location for years and yet continue to spend enormous amounts of money on their office facilities.

The above Parliamentarians have been in office since the last federal election last May in 2019. In the October-December period last year, Anthony Albanese spent $91,058 on office facilities. I understand that some office facilities would need to be refurbished for the new term, justifying the spending of $91,058 on office facilities. But then to also go on to spend $464,593 on his office in Marrickville, NSW between January and September is nothing short of criminal. You be the judge, below is a Google Maps screenshot of Anthony Albanese’s office. Now I’m not naive, I know that office rent and maintenance costs for his office in particular will not equate to almost half a million over 9 months.