President of the Senate, Senator for Tasmania
Senator Stephen Parry's expenses bill hits $620,000, including a $320,000 office fitout
AN office fitout costing as much as a Tasmanian family home has helped make Tasmanian Liberal Senator Stephen Parry one of the most expensive politicians in the country.
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New figures released late yesterday show the Australian Government Department of Finance paid out $620,000 in expenses for the Senator during a sixth month period from July to December last year.
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The expenses included $323,000 for an office fitout, $53,000 in overseas travel and $33,000 in domestic travel.
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Even excluding the office fitout, Senator Parry spent more than other local MPs including then-minister Richard Colbeck, who spent $258,000.
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Senator Parry, who has this week been the subject of a public stoush with his party about a push to move him to Devonport, topped the list of expenses for local Senators and House of Representatives MPs.
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His costs also include a $9000 a day trip to the US in late May and early June last year.
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Figures from the first half of last year show that he led the pack of MPs on expenses during that time.
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His costs made him the fifth most expensive politician in the country for the period, behind more high profile MPs such as Deputy Prime Minister Julie Bishop and Joe Hockey, who was Treasurer for three of the six months.
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This week Senator Parry was again elected as President of the Senate.
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It looks like we have (another) Bronwyn Bishop back in the Senate