Ley charged taxpayers $13K to pilot chartered flights: report

Under siege health minister Sussan Ley reportedly charged taxpayers $13,000 to pilot chartered flights along busy capital city routes.

Sussan Ley

Source: AAP

Embattled health minister Sussan Ley's use of taxpayer funding is again under fire following revelations she spent $13,000 to pilot private planes along busy capital city routes.

Fairfax reports Ms Ley, who is a licensed commercial pilot, charged $6300 to fly from Canberra to Melbourne in July 2014 and another $7000 to travel from Canberra to Adelaide in May 2015.

Ms Ley's social media accounts indicate she was in the cockpit, Fairfax says.
According to the Civil Aviation Safety Authority guidelines, commercial pilots must fly three flights every 90 days to maintain their licences.

Ms Ley stood aside as the health minister on Monday after Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull ordered an investigation into her travel claims by the head of his department.

She insists she's broken no rules.
It follows revelations she bought a $795,000 apartment from a Liberal National Party donor during a tax-payer funded trip to the Gold Coast.

Government documents also show Ms Ley spent more than $1000 on flights to and from Coolangatta between September 5 and September 8.

She also claimed car costs of $271 and a travel allowance of $720 during that time but it's unclear what official business she conducted on the trip.

A spokesman for Ms Ley said it would be "quite improper" to comment on the latest allegations.

"It's actually out of her hands," he told AAP.

WATCH: Government to support entitlement reform


Share
2 min read
Published 11 January 2017 7:00am
Updated 11 January 2017 7:17am
Source: AAP


Share this with family and friends