Family reunion travel
Family reunion travel definition
A parliamentarian travelling within Australia on parliamentary business may be accompanied or joined by nominated family members at Commonwealth expense.
Nominated family members may travel for family reunion purposes if:
- the parliamentarian is travelling within Australia for the dominant purpose of conducting the parliamentarian’s parliamentary business, and
- the family member(s) travels to accompany or join the parliamentarian, and
- the travel by the family member(s) is for the dominant purpose of facilitating the family life of the parliamentarian’s family.
Nominating family members to travel
Family members must be nominated to IPEA prior to accessing family reunion travel.
A parliamentarian may nominate a family member for family reunion travel by completing the Family Reunion Travel Nomination form.
It is important for parliamentarians to keep IPEA up-to-date with changes to family nominations, for example when a dependant turns 18 years of age and may no longer be considered a dependent.
A family member, for the purposes of family reunion travel, is defined as:
- the parliamentarian’s spouse (including de facto partner) or nominee, a nominee being a person nominated by the parliamentarian in place of a spouse
- a dependent child as defined below
- a designated person in relation to the parliamentarian, who is an individual nominated by the parliamentarian who:
- is a member of the parliamentarian’s immediate or extended family, or
- is substantially dependent on the parliamentarian,
- has significant caring responsibilities for—the parliamentarian’s spouse or nominee, or dependent child; or another person who is substantially dependent on the parliamentarian.
A dependent child of a parliamentarian means a person whom:
- both of the following apply:
- the person is less than 16 years of age
- the parliamentarian is legally responsible (whether alone or jointly with another person) for the day-to-day care, welfare and development of the person, or
- both of the following apply:
- the person is at least 16 years of age and less than 18 years of age
- the person is financially dependent on the parliamentarian, or
- all of the following apply:
- the person is 18 years of age or older
- the person is financially dependent on the parliamentarian
- the person is undertaking, and has been continuously undertaking, secondary education.
Booking family reunion travel
Airfares for family reunion travel must be booked through CTM. Upon request, IPEA may issue a travel profile number to the family member to book travel through CTM. Family members can also use the parliamentarian’s office general travel profile number.
To book travel, contact CTM:
- Phone (toll free): 1800 187 584
- Phone (if overseas): +61 2 8286 7499
- Email: ipea@travelctm.com
CTM’s travel consultants are based in Australia and available to take your bookings 24/7, 365 days a year.
For more information on CTM, refer to Travel service provider - Corporate Travel Management.
Family reunion travel
Subject to a cost limit, the Commonwealth may pay for a parliamentarian’s family’s transport costs for travel between any of the following destinations for family reunion purposes:
- the family member’s home base
- the parliamentarian’s home base
- Canberra
- places in the State or Territory in which the parliamentarian’s electorate is located.
Family reunion travel by the spouse of the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition between their home base and Canberra is not subject to a budget limit.
The family reunion travel provisions also provide one trip per financial year for a family member to accompany or join the parliamentarian in another location within Australia. The cost of this trip will be deducted from the family reunion budget.
Travel for family reunion must be at economy class, with upgrades to business class not permitted.
For more information on this budget, refer to Travel budgets.
Travel by dependent child/ren aged under 6 and an accompanying carer
There are additional provisions for a parliamentarian who is travelling interstate for parliamentary business and has a child under six years old. In these circumstances, travel costs can be covered for the child to travel with or join the member, as well as for a family member to accompany and care for the child.
The child and accompanying carer must travel in economy class.
Additional costs cannot be paid to upgrade travel to a higher class than economy.
Travel by a young child and a carer of a young child is not subject to a budgetary limit.
The carer of a young child must be nominated to IPEA by completing the Family Reunion Travel Nomination form.
Travel as parliamentarian’s representative
A parliamentarian’s spouse or nominee’s transport costs may be covered at Commonwealth expense if:
- the travel is for the dominant purpose of attending any of the following events as the parliamentarian’s representative:
- a funeral
- a function at which the parliamentarian was to receive an award or honour
- a function in the parliamentarian’s electorate to which that the parliamentarian was invited, if the parliamentarian is unable to attend the event because of illness, parliamentary business or family reasons, and the parliamentarian’s attendance would have been for the dominant purpose of conducting parliamentary business.
The travel must be by:
- scheduled commercial transport, or
- taxi or other chartered transport car service, or
- COMCAR.
Travel as a parliamentarian’s representative is deducted from the family reunion travel budget.
Travel as an official invitee
Transport costs can be covered at Commonwealth expense for the spouse or nominee of a parliamentarian to attend, by invitation, an official government, parliamentary or vice‑regal function.
If the spouse or nominee travels with the parliamentarian, they may use the same method of transport and travel at the same class as the parliamentarian.
If the spouse or nominee does not travel with the parliamentarian, the travel must be by:
- scheduled commercial transport at no higher than economy class, or
- taxi or other chartered transport car service, or
- Commonwealth transport in accordance with a Commonwealth transport determination.
The annual limit is a total of 3 return trips per year. Travel by the spouse of the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition is not subject to this limit.
Travel to official engagements as spouse of a senior office holder
A spouse of senior office holder (President of the Senate, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ministers, Assistant Ministers, Leader and Deputy Leader of the Opposition in either House of the Parliament), may travel to attend an engagement if the spouse is invited (either with or without the senior office holder) to attend the engagement in the spouse’s capacity as the spouse of a senior office holder.
If the spouse travels with the senior office holder, the spouse may use the same method of transport and travel at the same class as the senior office holder.
If the spouse does not travel with the senior office holder, the travel must be by:
- scheduled commercial transport at no higher than economy class, or
- taxi or other chartered transport car service, or
- Commonwealth transport in accordance with a Commonwealth transport determination.
The annual limit is a total of 3 trips per year. Travel by the spouse of the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition is not subject to this limit.
Incidental transport costs
Nominated family members may claim incidental transport costs when they travel for family reunion purposes to join or accompany the parliamentarian while travelling for parliamentary business.
The incidental travel must occur for one or more of the following reasons:
- travel to or from home to the point of departure for the purpose of commencing or completing a journey related to family reunion travel
- travel by the parliamentarian’s spouse or nominee between their accommodation in Canberra and Parliament House.
The incidental travel must be by:
- scheduled commercial transport, or
- hired car, taxi or other chartered transport car service, or
- COMCAR.
To claim incidental transport costs, a Travel Expense claim can be completed in PEMS. For guidance on how to claim expenses in PEMS, refer to Create a travel expense claim.
Alternatively, a parliamentarian travel expenses reimbursement claim form can be completed and sent to forms@ipea.gov.au with supporting documentation.
Private vehicle allowance—travel to Canberra
An allowance is set for fuel and running costs for a parliamentarian’s nominated family member to travel to or from Canberra in their private vehicle for family reunion purposes. The travel by private vehicle may be for the whole or part of the journey.
To claim private vehicle allowance, a travel allowance claim can be completed in PEMS. For guidance on how to claim in PEMS, refer to Create a travel allowance claim.
Alternatively, a parliamentarian's travel and/or private vehicle claim form can be completed.
Parking fees
A family member may claim parking fees when they park a private vehicle or private plated vehicle, used by the family member to commence or complete the family reunion trip, while travelling for family reunion purposes.
To claim parking costs, a Travel Expense claim can be completed in PEMS. For guidance on how to claim expenses in PEMS, refer to Create a travel expense claim.
Alternatively, a parliamentarian travel expenses reimbursement claim form can be completed and sent to forms@ipea.gov.au with supporting documentation.
More information
- Additional information on the Principles-Based Framework can be found on the Legislative Framework page.
- Additional information on travel budgets can be found on the Travel budgets page.
- For travel related queries or advice, please contact IPEA on (02) 6215 3000 or by email to enquiries@ipea.gov.au.
