Published assurance reviews

This Assurance Review focussed on travel and related expenses used by Senator Deborah O'Neill between 13 November 2013 and 24 March 2020. IPEA identified 16 itineraries, and following engagement with Senator O'Neill, IPEA was satisfied that all itineraries were not inconsistent with the respective legislative frameworks in force at the time of travel.

This Assurance Review examined travel using parliamentary business resources by parliamentarians to Queensland between 1 April and 31 July 2021. A Preliminary Assessment identified 5 parliamentarians who accessed business resources to travel to Queensland within the period (Senator the Hon David Fawcett, Mr Craig Kelly MP, The Hon Brendan O'Connor MP, Senator Jacquie Lambie, and Senator Sam McMahon). IPEA is satisfied that the dominant purpose of travel by Senator Fawcett, Mr Kelly and Mr O'Connor was parliamentary business and was not inconsistent with the legislative framework. Senator Lambie had a travel itinerary that was processed incorrectly; Senator Lambie's office requested that IPEA raise an invoice to amend the error, and it was paid in full. IPEA was unable to confirm whether Senator McMahon's travel was consistent with the legislative framework as no response was received to repeated requests for information. As Senator McMahon did not fulfil the requirements of the Regulations, the Senator was invoiced. As of 14 June 2022, the invoices had not been paid.

Following information provided by Senator McMahon in July 2022 regarding her use of Cabcharge during the period, IPEA removed these from the invoice. As Senator McMahon has not provided IPEA with information requested about the nature of her parliamentary business in Queensland, the remaining travel expenses and invoice stand. The revised invoice has not been paid.

This Assurance Review focussed on the use of Travel Allowance by a parliamentary staff member between 14 July 2020 and 22 August 2021. When this Assurance Review was commenced, the staff member appeared to have spent the most time on duty in Darwin instead of the staff member's approved work base. While this Assurance Review was being conducted, the staff member's employment contract was extended. The staff member did not claim any further TA after the contract extension, and IPEA concluded that this matter did not require further investigation.

This Assurance Review focussed on Mr Craig Kelly’s use of parliamentary business resources In November and December 2021. It followed a number of media articles which reported that Mr Kelly attended protest rallies in Victoria in regard to pandemic laws during that period.  Following a response from Mr Kelly referencing the Private Member’s Bill he introduced to Parliament titled 'NO Domestic Vaccine Passport Bill' and advising he was invited to rallies in his official capacity as a Federal Member of Parliament, IPEA concluded that the dominant purpose of Mr Kelly's travel was parliamentary business and not inconsistent with the legislative framework.

All assurance and audit activities 1 July 2020 to 31 January 2022 - FOI reference number #22/08

All IPEA audits, reviews and other assurance activities regarding federal parliamentarians' expense claims, that have been undertaken by IPEA since August 2019 - FOI reference number #21/10

All assurance reviews undertaken by IPEA since January 2017 - FOI reference number #20/05