"Did you claim travel expenses on your book tour? TONY ABBOTT: I did not. Q: How does Peter Slipper incorrectly claiming $900 and then offering to pay it back any different from you incorrectly claiming $9000 worth of travel expenses and having to pay it back? How are those situations different? A Look, this matter was dealt with last year and there is nothing further to add. Q Well he’s facing charges and the had to simply pay the $9000 back. How is the situations different? A Well as I said this matter was dealt with by the Labor minister last year we said that the matter was closed. Q Why were the travel expenses incorrectly claimed? Can you explain what happened in your office? A The matter was fully dealt with last year. Q But you’re not explaining how it occurred, why it occurred, why it happened in the first place. A As I said it was an oversight in my office that was fully dealt with last year. Q Why did you use com cars on your book tour? Surely you would have known when you are using com cars that you are on private business. A Fully dealt with last year. The Labor minister at the time was perfectly satisfied that there had been nothing that was deliberately done wrong. The matter was closed. Q Do you take responsibility for the mistake? A I think I have fully deal with it. In time to move on. Q It has been reported that you were forced to repay the amount. Are the reports are accurate? A This was dealt with two years ago, this is old news, old news, now why is Kevin Rudd now trying to dish this sort of dirt. Kevin Rudd came into the prime ministership a few days ago and he said let’s have a kinder and gentler polity. That was a bit rich from somebody who spent three years and three days’ plotting against a prime minister. Then he calls for a kinder and gentler polity and he called for positive politics. Now we have the Labor Party spinning this kind of stuff. Poll, boats, debt and deficit blah blah blah Q Mr Abbott, why did you say incorrectly say yesterday that you hadn’t incorrectly claimed those travel expenses? A Look, I think we’ve fully dealt with this. Gary Gray fully dealt with this Q You’re just repeated your lines over and over again A Gary Gray… Q You’re not answering any questions A Calm down. Gary Gray looked at this matter 2 years ago, he said “There’s nothing to see here”. Q Do you take responsibility for the incorrect claim of $9000? A Well, um, I didm;t claim travel allowance, I never claim travel allowance. My office in advertently booked some travel, ah, ah, as official which should not have been booked that way Q No, there were expenses. Gary Gray wrote back after you paid the initial $6000 saying there were travel expenses you had claimed, such as Comm cars. A Ok, are there any other questions?"
Posted on: Tue, 09 Jul 2013 07:04:34 +0000
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