4.9 Partner's expenses
Minister
All expenditure incurred by or on behalf of the partner of the Minister must be for official purposes, eg. where the partner of a Minister attends official meetings, entertainment, conferences and conventions either with, or in lieu of the Minister.
These costs would also extend to those occasions when a partner may travel separately from the Minister, to attend the same event.
However, the attendance of a Minister’s partner, when not accompanied by the Minister, at a party political function would not result in an entitlement to have travel costs met by the State.
Assistant Minister
The general provisions above, which apply to the partner of a Minister, do not apply to a partner of an Assistant Minister unless:
- the prior approval of the relevant senior Minister has been obtained for the partner to undertake official business; or
- the partner of the Assistant Minister is attending as a guest of the Minister. In this circumstance, the cost of the partner of the Assistant Minister will be a charge to the Office of the Minister and not the Office of the Assistant Minister.
Staff
Unless exceptional circumstances exist, costs of a partner of a staff member would not be allowable expenditure.
