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Adele and Taylor Swift tickets among perks for Australian MPs

Free tickets to Adele and Taylor Swift gigs, as well as major NRL and AFL games, were among the many perks enjoyed by Australian MPs over the past few years, an investigation has found.

Australian parliamentary rules require MPs to register all gifts valued at more than A$750 (£424/$542/€476) from officials and A$300 from others.

However, the Sydney Morning Herald has found that more than 30 MPs failed to follow the guidelines in recent years, which could in turn raise concerns over conflicts of interest.

In addition to tickets to top sporting and entertainment events, other perks that MPs have had access to include television subscriptions, both international and regional tours and alcohol.

The Herald investigation named a number of MPs caught up the in the row, such as Liberal MP Craig Kelley, who the publication said has not formally recorded any gifts of hospitality expenses since September 2016, despite enjoying two overseas trips.

Speaking to the Herald, Kelly blamed miscommunication in his office for the mix-up.

Responding to the revelations, George Rennie, a lecturer in politics and lobbying at the University of Melbourne, blasted MPs over their disregard for the system.

Rennie said: “Time after time, politicians are caught breaking the rules. They are caught because of a vigilant press, not by those responsible for ‘overseeing’ the register.

“When they are caught, they seem to react with a shrug, a ‘whoops’, and they amend their statement with little further consequence.”

Image: Kristopher Harris