Federal MPs who don’t use their frequent flyer points to pay for official trips will be named and shamed under a new directive aimed at cutting the ballooning $15 million cost of parliamentary travel.

A circular sent to all senators and MPs by Special Minister of State John Faulkner — obtained by The West Australian — shows the “gravy plane” for politicians’ family members will also soon end.

From next month, the public will be told how many frequent flyer points MPs have accumulated and how many flights were redeemed.

Politicians rack up millions of points every year but very few cash them in for official travel, despite a long-term directive to do so.

Some Federal MPs use their airline loyalty points for personal travel — such as holidays — and some trade them in to cover travel for their spouses or children.

Taxpayers spend more than $8 million flying Federal MPs across Australia every year and about $7 million on international flights. That equates to about $35,000 each on domestic travel, or about 90,000 Qantas frequent flyer points.

Senator Faulkner said redeeming points was hard because accounts did not split business and personal.

Of the 226 senators and MPs, those who used points to redeem airfares last year were: Labor’s Senator Faulkner, Daryl Melham and Martin Ferguson, former Australian Democrats senators Lyn Allison and Natasha Stott Despoja, and Liberals Bruce Billson and Russell Trood.

 

ANDREW PROBYN