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Tony Burke admits error

AAP

AAP

Labor MP Tony Burke has requested a review of his travel claims, following Coalition fire for his use of parliamentary entitlements.

Mr Burke asked the Finance department today to conduct a review into his expenses.

“I don’t want there to be any argument whatsoever where somebody claims that I’m not willing to be held to the exact same standard as anyone else,” Mr Burke said.

• Tony Burke under fire for $12k ‘family trip’
• Labor frontbencher defends $12k travel claim
• New MP expense rules coming

 

The Opposition MP has been targeted this week for his use of parliamentary entitlements, particularly money spent on his family’s travel.

It was revealed Department of Finance records show in April 2012, while he was environment minister, Mr Burke made a four-day return trip from Sydney to Uluru in Central Australia with his family costing taxpayers nearly $13,000.

“For Uluru I left the kids each day and went to work, in the evenings I was with them,” he said.

“You don’t go on holiday with public servants from your department.

“While I am completely confident that the questions in particular relating to Uluru and Cairns have been 100 per cent within the rules, they have also been completely beyond community expectations.

“No-one can satisfy an argument that says that kids should have been flying business class and [I] accept that argument absolutely.

“There is a justifiable expectation that that was unnecessary and shouldn’t have happened.”

Mr Burke also claimed expenses for a Robbie Williams concert last year, accepted free Justin Bieber tickets in 2011 and admission to the Byron Bay Blues Festival, Business Insider Australia reports.

“It was a confession, rather than a declaration”, Mr Burke said in response to questioning over his travel claims to a Justin Bieber concert.

But he previously defended spending on the Robbie Williams concert, saying he was meeting with tour promoter Michael Chugg on official business.

But Mr Chugg today described it as “nothing more than a general chit chat”.

In light of this, Mr Burke said he would repay the expenses for the Robbie Williams concert.

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