PART 5 – RATES OF AUSTRALIAN TRAVEL ALLOWANCE FOR TRAVEL WITHIN AUSTRALIA

Rates

5.1 For subsection 31(2) of the PBR Act, the rates in the table in Schedule B are determined as the nightly rates of Australian travel allowance payable in accordance with section 10 of the PBR Regulations.

5.2 The rates in Column 2 of the table apply to a member who is a Minister or holds one of the following offices:

a. Leader or Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the House of Representatives or the Senate;

b. Speaker or Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives;

c. President, or Deputy President and Chair of Committees, of the Senate;

d. Chief Government Whip or Chief Opposition Whip in the House of Representatives or the Senate;

e. Leader of a minority party.

5.3 If the member is the Prime Minister or Acting Prime Minister, clause 5.1 does not apply, and the rate of travel allowance is $598 for each night in commercial accommodation that is away from the home base of the Prime Minister or Acting Prime Minister.

5.4 Where a member, including the Prime Minister or Acting Prime Minister, stays in non-commercial accommodation, the rate of travel allowance for the night is one-third of the rate in clause 5.1 or 5.3, rounded up to the nearest $1. This provision does not apply to stays in Canberra.

5.5 Where the Commonwealth pays for the accommodation of a person who is a Minister, the rate determined is, instead of the rate that would otherwise apply, the lesser of:

a. $199 for each night; and

b. the amount spent by the person for meals and incidental expenses in relation to the person’s travel.

Definitions

5.6 Terms in this Part that are defined in the PBR Regulations have the same meaning as in those Regulations.

5.7 ‘Commercial accommodation’ means accommodation in a commercial establishment such as a hotel, motel or serviced apartment. However, if the member does not produce to the Administrator a receipt for accommodation given to the member by the accommodation provider, or provide certification to the Administrator that such a receipt can be produced upon request and does not subsequently provide such a receipt when requested, the accommodation is taken to be non-commercial accommodation.

5.8 In Schedule B:

a. references to ‘Adelaide’, ‘Brisbane’, ‘Melbourne’, ‘Perth’ and ‘Sydney’ are references to locations within a ten kilometre radius of the General Post Office of the city or within a five kilometre radius of the city’s principal airport; and

b. references to ‘Darwin’ and ‘Hobart’ are references to locations within a five kilometre radius of the General Post Office of the city or within a five kilometre radius of the city’s principal airport.