Source: The Daily Telegraph
TAXPAYER-funded VIP jets have been ferrying media advisers, staffers and even First Bloke Tim Mathieson around the country on solo flights.
As MPs flew out of Canberra for their almost three-month summer break from parliament yesterday, the cost of scheduled special purpose flights was tabled in parliament. It revealed almost 20 RAAF VIP flights in the first six months of this year where there was only one person on board.
Mr Mathieson flew from Sydney to Canberra on a RAAF Challenger in January, at a cost of $1725, to meet Prime Minister Julia Gillard and travel with her to Hobart.
The PM's office justified the solo flight last night, with a spokesman saying the jet had to move from its Canberra base to pick Ms Gillard up so she could travel to Tasmania.
He said by using the VIP on what would have been an empty flight otherwise, Mr Mathieson had saved tax-payers the cost of a commercial flight.
"Mr Mathieson travelled on the Canberra-Sydney leg at no additional expense," the spokesman said.
Finance Minister Penny Wong's two solo flights - taken in April when parliament was not sitting - cost $10,000 between Adelaide and Canberra, the first on a RAAF Challenger and the second on a 737.
Two solo flights by Defence Minister Stephen Smith cost almost $30,000. On one occasion, his spokeswoman said, Mr Smith had to leave Perth at 3am when there were no commercial services and on the second occasion, on April 19, he had to fly from Perth to Townsville to meet the PM's jet so they could travel to the Chicago Summit.
The VIP jets also carried media advisers and staffers on solo flights.
Former Human Services Minister Kim Carr's then media adviser Fiona Bastian took two solo flights, at a cost of more than $5000, between Melbourne and Canberra on April 23 this year. It is understood the aircraft had to travel between those airports to pick up the then minister and other staffers.
A spokesman for Health Minister Tanya Plibersek, whose staffer travelled on two solo legs between Canberra and Sydney, said they were "repositioning legs".
"The plane was travelling from Canberra to Sydney to pick the minister up and then after the trip was returning to Canberra," he said.
"The adviser was accompanying the Minister on her trip and flying on the plane saved the cost of two commercial flights, Canberra to Sydney return."
Nationals Senator Barnaby Joyce said he had taken solo flights on the VIP after getting special permission to return to his St George home during a flood. At other times he had approval to take a VIP flight because commercial services limited his ability to get to his remote home near the Queensland/NSW border with one flight costing $5175.
Solo passengers included The Australian's defence editor Brendan Nicholson who flew alone from Rangoon to Canberra after reporting on a visit by Foreign Minister Bob Carr. The plane was returning to Canberra and The Australian reimbursed the government the cost of a commercial flight seat.
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