The Australian Education Department has apologised to Australian taxpayers for spending thousands of dollars at fine dining restaurants to holding meetings.
Shadow Education Minister Senator Sarah Henderson called this expenditure “appalling.”
“No matter who it is, holding a meeting should be in a meeting room with a cup of tea and a biscuit,” she said during a parliamentary hearing on Feb. 15.
“These are just restaurant rorts. How did this happen in the first place? How could you run a department which allows this sort of flagrant waste of taxpayers’ dollars?”
The Education Department revealed that over six months, they had spent $12,637.31 (US$8,200) at high-end restaurants across Australia and South Korea.
Meetings were held at upscale restaurants such as Mezzalira in Canberra, Ginger Indian in Sydney, Mabu Mabu in Melbourne, and the one-hat establishment Courgette, with the meal expenses claimed accordingly.
The cost per person for the dinners averaged $81 and reached as high as $171, at Mezzalira.
Head of the Education Department, Tony Cook, agreed that this overspending was unacceptable, and pledged to revise its hospitality and travel policy while discussing changes with Education Minister Jason Clare.
“I’m in furious agreement with you,” Mr. Cook told the committee.
Education Department staff are now expected to spend $77 or less for meals.
“That limit reflects the Australian Taxation Office travel allowance rates,” Mr. Cook said.
“[It] would mean that a majority of those restaurants would be completely out of our policy.
“We have let the taxpayers down in terms of what they would expect from public servants. It should not have happened.”
According to budget records, during the first half of last year, the Education Department spent over $290,000 on the hospitality and travel bill last year.
A sum of $172,691 was allocated towards events and catering, along with an additional $118,404 designated for accommodation and travel expenses.
