Parliamentary travel rules under scrutiny after Gold Coast trip by Nationals leader

In early February 2023, Nationals leader, David Littleproud, left parliament early to travel to the Gold Coast, three days after he and his spouse settled on a new apartment there.

Littleproud, whose electorate of Maranoa is in south west Queensland, took leave shortly before parliament had finished for the week, departing Canberra for a family commitment on Thursday 9 February.

Independent Parliamentary Expense Authority (IPEA) guidelines allow MPs to return to anywhere in their home state from a parliamentary sitting, to be with their families.

The member for Maranoa disclosed the property purchase on his register of interests on 13 February. Guardian Australia understands the business class flight was publicly funded. Guardian Australia does not suggest that the travel constituted a breach of expenditure rules.

In 2017, then health minister and now deputy Liberal leader, Sussan Ley, purchased a Gold Coast apartment on a taxpayer-funded trip, prompting a major overhaul of parliamentary expenses, despite the trip being deemed within the rules.

On 9 February, Littleproud appears to have left his seat in question time shortly after 3pm. His absence was noticed by colleagues when the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, and the opposition leader, Peter Dutton, delivered valedictory speeches shortly before 4pm for Liberal MP, Alan Tudge, who had just announced his retirement.

Parliament did not sit the following day.

The Nationals whip, Mark Coulton, said that Littleproud was away and had leave for the early departure.

Littleproud flew to the Gold Coast via Sydney on a flight shortly after 4pm, before the house adjourned at 5pm.

The Nationals leader was pictured on the Gold Coast over that weekend in photographs posted by his partner to social media, before returning to Canberra on the evening of 12 February.