The federal government continues to insist Finance Minister Matias Cormann has not misused taxpayer funds.
Senator Cormann spent nearly forty thousand dollars of taxpayers' money to travel in a Defence Department jet to try and convince crossbenchers to vote for the government's now-dumped big business tax cut legislation.
Senator Cormann flew from Canberra to Adelaide, then on to his home base in Perth, on the defence plane on the 22nd of June last year.
The government says this was not outside of the guidelines for politcians' travel, as Senator Cormann only used the defence plane because a commercial flight was not available.
Senator Cormann's colleague, Liberal party senator Jane Hume, has told the ABC Senator Cormann was working in the public interest.
"Clearly, Matias was going to Adelaide, not for a tour of the wine regions, or, indeed, a whale-watching tour. He was going for official business. He was going to speak to crossbenchers about tax legislation, which benefits all Australians. So, he was certainly there on official business. This wasn't a jaunt, or a junket, or anything like that".
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