4.3 Expenditure - not allowable

Policy

The costs outlined below are examples of expenditure that is not allowable and is not to be charged as an expense of the Office of the Minister or Departments within the Minister's portfolio.

Expenditure which is not allowable is considered private expenditure. However, Ministers should note that some private expenditure may be claimable as 'Parliamentary business' under the Members' Handbook. Private expenditure includes:

1. personal expenditure;
2. clothing (with the exception of chauffeur suit payments);
3. personal household articles;
4. partner's wardrobe;
5. hairdressing;
6. video hire (in-house movies);
7. club membership, except for airline memberships;
8. laundry and dry cleaning costs except costs associated with the Minister's Office (eg. tea towels, tablecloths etc) and costs incurred by the Minister and staff whilst travelling on official business and involving at least four (4) consecutive overnight stays;
9. personal presentations including presentations to any Ministerial or government employee whether employed on a permanent, temporary, casual, consultancy or any other basis;
10. "drinks only" costs;
11. any costs incurred for or by a political party, including entry fees to political party functions, travel or entertainment costs by unelected political party members (see EXPENSES RELATING TO A MINISTER'S OFFICE " Political Party meetings);
12. tipping, except for overseas travel; and
13. donations (including donations to political parties).

Procedures

Upon identifying an incident of Non-Allowable Expenditure that has already been processed, Ministerial Services will raise a debit note to the officer who incurred the expenditure. The officer has thirty (30) days from the date of this invoice to either dispute the charge, pay the debit note or arrange a repayment schedule with Ministerial Services.

Last reviewed: 17 July, 2009

Last updated: 22 July, 2009

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