An Abbott government minister believes the row over taxpayer-funded travel expenses lacks perspective, saying it pales into insignificance beside the prime minister's important diplomatic work.
"This is getting to the edge of being absurd," junior infrastructure and regional development minister Jamie Briggs told Sky News on Wednesday.
Tony Abbott's presence at the APEC leaders' forum in Bali has been plagued by questions over a string of expense claims the prime minister lodged for attending charity and sporting events while he was opposition leader.
"These are important community events," Mr Briggs said.
Mr Abbott has repaid more than $1700 he received to attend the 2006 weddings of two parliamentary colleagues because the entitlement was "unclear".
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But he stands by expense claims for taking part in Pollie Pedal charity rides and an ironman event at Port Macquarie in 2011.
Finance Department documents, obtained by news.com, shows Mr Abbott also claimed some $10,000 for family trips to AFL grand finals and Derby Day in Melbourne.
Mr Briggs said his leader's decisions had been appropriate.
"In the end this issue is one that will get some attention for a couple of days but over time will lose its significance, compared to the significant events the prime minister is participating in overseas."
Former Labor treasurer Wayne Swan defended travel expense claims he made for attending football grand finals when he was acting prime minister, saying they were entirely within the guidelines.
That was a "world of difference to some of the discussion about other claims in the media at the moment".
Mr Swan is on a taxpayer-funded study tour in the United States, where he has been invited to an international financial conference in Washington.
He also will be talking to policymakers, investors and academics in New York.
"If you want to make a significant contribution to the debate on the global economy, the debate on our national economy, you have got to stay in touch," he told Sky News.
All his claimed expenses would be within the guidelines.
Mr Abbott was now facing the same scrutiny and criticism that he dished out to many people in the past, Mr Swan said.
"The most important thing here, it shouldn't be a thing of one side of politics or the other, it should be a consistent application of the guidelines."
