Abbott flies RAAF jet to donor’s birthday bash at golf club
March 2015
As prime minister Tony Abbott flew to Melbourne in a RAAF jet to attend the birthday party of mining millionaire and Liberal Party donor Paul Marks at Huntingdale Golf Club.
Abbott flew from Sydney with a group of people after the NSW Liberal Party election launch.
His office defended the use of the VIP jet, which cost about $4000 an hour to run, saying Abbott had work-related engagements in Melbourne on Sunday.
“All travel was undertaken with the rules,” Abbott’s spokesman said, but he did not answer questions from journalists on what the work engagements were.
As the parliamentary expenses authority explains: “MPs must be prepared to publicly justify their use of expenses.”
Tony Abbott fails to declare daughter’s scholarship connected to donor
A 30-year veteran of the mainstream media, Liz was the editor of MWMuntil June 2021. Liz began her career in journalism in 1990 and worked at The Age newspaper for two 10-year stints. She also worked at The Guardian newspaper in London for more than seven years. A former professional tennis player who represented Australia in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, Liz has a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Letters (Hons).