Minister sorry for 'error of judgement'

Health Minister Sussan Ley says billing taxpayers for a trip to Queensland that included the purchase of a Gold Coast apartment was an error of judgement.

Sussan Ley

Health Minister Sussan Ley has apologised for claiming travel entitlements for a trip to Queensland. (AAP)

Health Minister Sussan Ley has apologised for claiming travel entitlements over a 2015 trip to Queensland, calling the move an "error of judgement".

Ms Ley pledged to pay back travel expenses associated with the May 2015 trip, and costs associated with several other journeys in 2014 and 2015.

The move follows revelations she bought a $795,000 Gold Coast apartment from an LNP donor while on the taxpayer-funded May 9, 2015, trip to Brisbane, which was for a health announcement.

In a statement on Sunday Ms Ley said she had decided to stay on the Gold Coast on the night of May 9 "rather than incur considerable extra expense" by flying back to Albury, and then to Canberra the following day.

She said the travel was within the rules and while attending an auction wasn't the reason for her Queensland visit, she understood it changed the context of the travel.

"I have spoken to the prime minister and he agrees that this claim does not meet the high standards he expects of ministers," Ms Ley said.

"I apologise for the error of judgement."

Ms Ley promised to ask the Department of Finance on Monday to invoice her for the costs of a car and travel allowance claimed on May 9, and the penalty for wrongly claiming.

She said she would also seek invoices to pay two other taxpayer-funded Gold Coast stays, in 2014 and 2015, "where I should have stayed and claimed in Brisbane", as well as a June 2015 flight from Coolangatta to Canberra.

"In the interests of total transparency, I will ask the department to review all my ministerial travel to the Gold Coast," Ms Ley said.

She bought the home from Martin Henry Corkery, who donated $50,000 to the Queensland LNP in 2011.

Labor has called for the minister's resignation and for her to release her diary and details of who she met on the May 2015 trip.


Share
2 min read

Published

Source: AAP


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world