McCormack justifies spending travel allowance on wife's mortgage

The Assistant Minister for Defence from Lake Albert rests his head at his wife’s investment property in the leafy suburb of Kingston when travelling to Canberra for work.

Mr McCormack, who earns $248,800, claims another $18,000 worth of taxpayer-funded travel allowances that go towards paying off his wife’s mortgage. 

He could stay at the five-star Hyatt Hotel Canberra instead and still pocket $8 in change each night.

However, the Nationals MP said politicians earned far less than their private sector equivalents and didn’t deserve the intense scrutiny.

“I spent my first couple of years in Canberra living in a sparse little one-bed place that didn’t even have a television that worked,” he said.

“My wife works very hard as a full-time regional manager of Dennis Family Homes and saved enough to purchase an investment home in Canberra.”

Mr McCormack justified his travel allowance in lieu of penalty rates.

“I get a travel allowance, others get penalty rates – it’s part of the package,” he said.

“The scrutiny of politicians’ finances is very close. My mother-in-law had to divest her modest share portfolio when I became assistant finance minister.”

Publican at one of Mr McCormack’s favourite watering holes, Grong Grong’s Royal Hotel, Ted Obudzinski baulked at the suggestion he was feathering his own nest. 

“If he's staying at a motel in Canberra then he's just paying someone else's mortgage,” Mr Obudzinski said.

“I'm an ex-public servant and we weren't scrutinised on how we spent our travel allowance – pollies get kicked pillar to post.

“He works hard, he's always travelling back from Griffith at ungodly hours when he calls in, when he could be at home with his wife and family.

“He doesn’t have any alcohol, he has a can of Coke, proving he’s there to gather the opinions of locals.”

One in five federal politicians spend their travel allowances on second homes.