Australia's federal sports minister spent $20,000 of taxpayers' money taking a private jet to an ice hockey game - a month after splurging $14,000 on another chartered flight to meet Prince Charles. Scroll down for videoCabinet minister Bridget McKenzie (centre in May 2018) spent $20,000 of taxpayers' money taking a private jet from Rockhampton to to an ice hockey game in MelbourneHer 1,700km direct flight to the Victorian capital, so she could watch the Melbourne Mustangs ice hockey team, cost taxpayers $19,942, Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority data showed. Senator McKenzie's one-day travel bill cost taxpayers the equivalent of three months' wages for an Australian worker on an average full-time salary of $82,400. The minister's spokesman said a charter flight was chosen because no commercial flights were available for an urgent meeting in Melbourne. Senator McKenzie's May flight from Rockhampton to Melbourne wasn't the first time she had billed the Australian people tens of thousands of dollars.

Source: Daily Mail February 06, 2019 01:13 UTC