Ministerial Travel

Mr COWDREY (Colton) (14:24): My question is again to the Treasurer. Did the Treasurer take any taxpayer-funded foreign US currency with him on his eight-day trip to New York, Washington and Los Angeles and, if so, how much did he take and how much did he return with?

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN (Lee—Treasurer) (14:24): Yes, I did. That is the normal practice, particularly for people travelling to the US, whereas it is not required here in Australia. Yes, currency is also referred to as cash, for the benefit of the member for Schubert.

Mrs Hurn interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: I notice that we are quite often having to explain these basics to the member for Schubert when she chooses to interject on matters of Treasury and finance.

The Hon. J.A.W. Gardner interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Morialta!

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: I am more than happy to complete my answer if she has completed inserting her foot in her mouth. I think I took the sum of $US500. I returned the vast majority of that. My recollection is that most of that was used for the necessity of tipping, which is a custom and practice in the United States, but once we have finished reconciling all of that, those details will be proactively disclosed in accordance with Premier and Cabinet Circular 35, which I remind the house was changed by those opposite. The member for Schubert, of course, the principal adviser—

Mrs Hurn interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: —to the member for Dunstan when he was Premier—

Mrs Hurn interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Schubert is on three warnings.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: —of course, the minister responsible for taking in changes to the Premier and Cabinet Circular, it didn't seem to be a problem back then when those changes were being made, but she seems to have had a change of mind. Isn't amazing that the standard which they held themselves to between 2018 and 2022 seems to be something that they flee from at great pace.