Study trip being taken abroad is often a part of educational courses and programs these days. One of the popular methods is the student exchange program which helps the participating members to gain from the best of both the universities. But a study trip a on yacht which has a gym, spa, cinema and also a high-profile cocktail bar looks little unheard and unnecessarily extravagant to me. But Federal MPs beg to differ. Reports suggest that Bureaucrats spend more than $250,000 in six months on overseas study entitlements which includes a tour of the islands of Papua New Guinea on luxury-laced yacht.
The Australian tabloid The Sun-Herald published an analysis which says that Members of Parliament and Senators raised a bill $257,749 on overseas study trips between January 1 and June 30 and this in turn was preceded by $500,000 during the final six months of 2009. It goes without saying that these bills are financed through the money which is collected through public taxation. Before any steam could surface, it has been said that an unreleased parliamentary review has recommended to do away with this scheme.
It was NSW Liberal MP Bob Baldwin who took the eight-day trip to Papua New Guinea on a luxury yacht and dished out a bill of as much as $28,498. This is tax payer’s money we are talking about and it shouldn’t be put to use for frivolous luxury trips in the disguise of “educationâ€.
Via: SMH
