But if you're crazy enough to spend some time reading official parliamentary expense reports, it's not too hard to find some items that raise a few questions.
For example: How did Senator Derryn Hinch manage to spend $900 in one day on taxi fares?
Speaking of strange travelling charges - i'd love to know how Senator Bridget McKenzie managed to drop $19,9420.20 on impromptu travel from Rockhampton to Essendon. At a distance of 1,971 km by road, that's a charge of $100 per km travelled to the taxpayer. Did Senator McKenzie need to charter a plane at short notice?
Aside from travel expenses rorts - of which there are many, in my opinion, our pollies like to charge us for a bit of heavy reading.
For example, Senator James McGrath managed to spend a whopping 3 grand in 3 months on books and newspapers with the largest single purchase being 20 copies of "Howard: The Art of Persuasion: Selected Speeches 1995-2016" at a cost of $917.18. That's $45.86 per copy. You'd think he would at least get a bulk discount for an order of 20.
Aside from 20 copies Howard's finest moments in print, Senator McGrath purchased many other fine titles including "Green Tyranny: Exposing the Totalitarian Roots of the Climate Industrial Complex" and "Don't Hurt People and Take Their Stuff: A Libertarian Manifesto".
In spite of this impressive list of books, Senator McGrath isn't even the most dedicated bookworm in the upper house. My short time spent analysing these reports led me to realise that Senator Fierravanti-Wells has a serious need for read.
Damn, do you think she read all 20 copies of "The Forgotten People, 75th Anniversary Edition" and the regular edition?
Click here to see what your local member has been spending your money on.
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