Coalition MPs are endangering their reputations as economic managers by charging taxpayers for personal indulgences such as travel to weddings, former Liberal leader John Hewson has warned.
The warning follows a string of questionable claims involving senior members of the Coalition, including Prime Minister Tony Abbott, billing taxpayers to attend weddings.
"I don't believe in unlimited access to the public purse," Dr Hewson has told Fairfax media.
He said any newly elected prime minister must set clear standards for his team as the "fish rots from the head".
Coalition MPs "can't run on the line that [they] want to control government expenditure" and at the same time waste taxpayers' money on their personal lives.
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"I think that in the early days of any government you need to set the standards," Dr Hewson said.
But former Howard government minister Peter Reith has described the wedding expenses scandals as "petty" and argued that politicians should be entitled to unlimited travel.
"I think it's ridiculous putting limits on where ministers can go," he's told Fairfax.
It's been revealed that three Coalition MPs - Julie Bishop, Barnaby Joyce and Teresa Gambaro - claimed more than $12,000 in travel expenses to return from a lavish wedding in India where they were guests of billionaire Gina Rinehart.
In their reports they said they were engaged in "overseas study" tours.
Mr Abbott has confirmed that he repaid $1095 spent travelling to the wedding of former colleague Sophie Mirabella seven years ago, prompted by media inquiries last week.
In the past week, Attorney-General George Brandis and Agriculture Minister Mr Joyce reimbursed taxpayers after it was revealed they used public funds to attend the wedding of their friend, shock jock Michael Smith, in 2011.
