The Victorian Attorney-General, Martin Pakula, and Public Transport Minister Jacinta Allan have caused a stir over their use of taxpayer-funded chauffered vehicles to attend a show by Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band held at Hanging Rock during the Boss's recent Australian tour.
As News Corp reports, both Pakula and Allan have defended the use of their ministerial cars to attend the 11 February concert — a 150-kilometre round trip — claiming they were invited in promoters Frontier Touring in an official capacity. Fellow MP and Cabinet Secretary Mary-Anne Thomas was also invited as a guest, but took public transport.
According to News Corp, Allan says that she "spoke to organisers about how we can continue to promote and support Victoria's economy through major events like this", while Pakula said that he and Allan discussed "how we can draw more events to regional Victoria in the future" with the promoters.
However, in a climate when Victorian parliament is under scrutiny for entitlements abuses — highlighted by the recent resignations of Speaker Telmo Languiller and Deputy Speaker Don Nardella over alleged misuse of taxpayer funds to pay for their lifestyle choice of dwelling outside their electorates — opposition public transport spokesman David Hodgett said that the use of ministerial vehicles in this capacity falls outside the MPs' official duties, as neither is responsible for major events.
Along with his role as Attorney-General, Pakula is the state's Minister for Racing, while Allan doubles as the Victorian Minister for Major Projects.
"If ministers are using their ministerial entitlements for other than ministerial duties, that doesn’t pass the pub test," Hodgett told News Corp.
"Given the rorts that have gone on under Daniel Andrews’ MPs, would it be any wonder ministers would not be using their entitlements in the proper way as attended?"
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