Sussan Ley has admitted she fell short of community standards, as a report confirmed her taxpayer-funded, chauffeur-driven car ride to an auction on the Gold Coast - where she bought an $800,000 unit - was in breach of the rules.
A review by the Department of Finance, tabled by the former cabinet minister in parliament on Wednesday, found the trip was not for official purposes and invoiced the dumped health minister for the ride and a day's travel allowance plus a penalty.
Ms Ley, who now sits on the backbench, has also voluntarily paid back more than $5200 for travel she felt might be considered more personal in nature.
The member for Farrer told parliament said she wanted to release the report to allow Australians to draw their own conclusions.
The department found only one claim that was outside her entitlements over a three-and-a-half-year period.
"This was for a five-minute car trip," she told MPs.
"Even so, to avoid any doubt, I had already repaid the entire amount in January this year."
While Ms Ley had planned to buy a property for some time, the purchase of the apartment was on impulse - just 20 minutes after she first saw it.
"It was an entirely incidental and unplanned activity to what was an otherwise busy weekend schedule," she said.
Ms Ley noted she spent only 15 nights on the Gold Coast during her 703 days as a cabinet minister - six were because she was a keynote speaker at a conference, and six others for major hospital openings or sporting events.
The NSW MP went into further detail about her trips, and addressed several media reports which she claimed were inaccurate.
She dismissed as "ridiculous" suggestions she booked ministerial charter flights between capital cities to maintain flying hours as a pilot.
"When I resigned as minister I did so because the facts could not overcome the story ... and the repayments I have chosen to make - entirely voluntarily - are because I recognise that I have fallen short of community standards."
The government is expected to make further changes to MPs' expenses next week.
Having axed life gold passes and set up an independent expenses authority, Special Minister of State Scott Ryan will bring to parliament draft laws defining what MPs can put on the taxpayer tab.
An independent report released last year, after a review of the entitlements system, called for the replacement of the terms "entitlement" and "benefit" with "work expenses" and a single legal framework to cover work expenses.
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