Procurement News Notice |
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| PNN | 5200 |
| Work Detail | An Illawarra federal MP spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to fit out a new electorate office, the latest parliamentary expenditure figures have revealed. The Liberal MP for the region’s southern seat of Gilmore, Ann Sudmalis, racked up a bill of almost $360,000 when she relocated her Nowra office last year. Ms Sudmalis shifted from her old Berry Street base to a new shopfront across the road, on Junction Street, in November. The MP claimed $359,332.02 in expenses – between July 1 and December 31 last year – to refurbish the former Medicare office. Ann Sudmalis in her old office. Ann Sudmalis in her old office. The spend was the fourth largest of the nation’s 233 MPs and senators in that category – behind Joe Hockey, Warren Entsch and Matthew Canavan. Ms Sudmalis told the Mercury her existing office didn’t have the required security measures or Australian-standard disability access. “This is a one-off cost and it [the new office] will be there for the next 20 years, in all likelihood,” she said. “The other office was put together 19 years ago; there’s been significant technological change and significant technological expectations for a sitting member [since].” A portion of the $360,000 was spent on improved electrical wiring and new computer terminals, with Ms Sudmalis “very careful not to put in too much extra stuff”. “The same fit out that had to be done in the old office was applied to the new one and it ended up being a whole lot less,” she said. The MP said bringing the existing office up to standard would have cost about $460,000. Ms Sudmalis said the decision to shift offices was “a departmental thing”. In comparison to Ms Sudmalis’ fit-out spend, Labor Whitlam MP Stephen Jones claimed $570 in similar expenses and Member for Cunningham Sharon Bird didn’t outlay a cent. Mr Jones’ most-claimed expenses were office administration-related ($72,022), which covers consumables and services, publications and his printing and communications. Administration costs ($85,135) also ranked highly on Ms Sudmalis’ expenses, being the second most-claimed category behind the office fit-out. Office facilities ($109,065) topped Ms Bird’s list of claims in the July 1 to December 31, 2015 period. According to the Department of Finance, office facilities relate to operating expenses (lease, power, cleaning), security, equipment and maintenance. How much does your MP spend? Ann Sudmalis (Gilmore) Travel allowance: $14,138 Overseas travel: $0 Domestic fares: $2155 Charter: $624 Car costs: $10,684 Office facilities: $70,335 Office fit-outs: $359,332 Office admin: $85,135 Phone costs: $3053 Family travel costs: $0 Sharon Bird (Cunningham) Travel allowance: $19,335 Overseas travel: $0 Domestic fares: $4178 Charter: $0 Car costs: $8795 Office facilities: $109,065 Office fit-outs: $0 Office admin: $67,873 Phone costs: $2245 Family travel costs: $0 Stephen Jones (Whitlam) Travel allowance: $12,993 Overseas travel: $8345 Domestic fares: $11,333 Charter: $624 Car costs: $17,391 Office facilities: $59,246 Office fit-outs: $570 Office admin: $72,022 Phone costs: $2768 Family travel costs: $1103 Concetta Fierravanti-Wells (Senator) Travel allowance: $12,294 Overseas travel: $4795 Domestic fares: $42,900 Charter: $624 Car costs: $27,427 Office facilities: $48,220 Office fit-outs: $2066 Office admin: $29,201 Phone costs: $1915 Family travel costs: $3993 Editorial: MPs’ spending is need-to-know information It's a dollar figure most people would probably associate with buying a house, not fitting out an office. However, almost $360,000 – well, $359,322.02 to be exact – is how much Gilmore MP Ann Sudmalis has claimed as the cost to fit out her new electorate office in Nowra. The Liberal MP says her existing office, across the road, simply wasn’t up to scratch and couldn’t be accessed by those with a disability. Access for all is important and no one will deny the need – or desire – to have the most modern facilities at one’s disposal. And, our politicians – as our voice in the Parliament – should be no exception. As Ms Sudmalis, herself, says: “The other office was put together 19 years ago; there’s been significant technological change and significant technological expectations for a sitting member [since]”. However, one must question how hundreds of thousands of dollars being spent on an office is justifiable? Many a constituent out there would probably tell you that money is better spent elsewhere – hospital upgrades, road improvements, bridge builds? It probably would be, but Ms Sudmalis is just doing her job. And, she needs somewhere within her electorate to be the epicentre, if you like, of that work. The Mercury highlighting the Liberal MP’s rather extravagant fit-out figure is this newspaper doing its job. We must hold our elected representatives to account and let the tax-paying public know where their money is being spent. The Australian Government’s Department of Finance regularly publishes the details of our parliamentarians' expenditure on their entitlements. It’s typically a six-month snapshot of payments made and receipts received by the department, within a certain period. The most-recent report covers the period July 1 to 31 December, 2015. The list of expenses includes the tangible aspects of an MPs’ work – keeping the lights on at their electorate offices and the cost of printing newsletters for constituents It also includes the no-so-visible aspects of the job – which newspapers the politicians’ read, how big of a taxi fare bill they’ve racked up and whether they’ve made a trip overseas for an official visit or as part of a parliamentary delegation. |
| Country | Australia , Australia and New Zealand |
| Industry | Financial Services |
| Entry Date | 15 Oct 2016 |
| Source | http://www.begadistrictnews.com.au/story/4141422/gilmore-mp-spends-360k-to-fit-out-new-office/?cs=12 |
