Member for Lismore and Minister Janelle Saffin has defended the right of regional MPs to serve as ministers, after an audit confirmed the Sydney travel expenses that triggered a weeks-long political scandal were the result of an administrative error, not a misuse of taxpayer money.
The finding comes two days after the NSW Liberals and Nationals referred the Lismore MP to the NSW Auditor General over the same travel expenses.
The audit confirms what Minister Saffin told a budget estimates hearing on Friday, 28 August, when she was grilled over 52 nights of Sydney accommodation charged to her ministerial office budget.
“My official travel is not the issue here. It’s all been done appropriately as part of my ministerial and parliamentary duties, and that’s a matter of public record,” she told the hearing at the time.
“It’s not misuse of taxpayers’ money because all of the travel that I’ve undertaken is legitimate, approved travel. There’s money available for that. It went into the wrong bucket, and that will be corrected,” she said.
In a statement on Friday, Minister Saffin said her office had completed an audit of all ministerial and staff travel expenses since she became a minister in March 2025, done with advice and support from the Department of Parliamentary Services, The Cabinet Office and the Premier’s Department.
“The audit has confirmed that expenses associated with official travel to Sydney were inadvertently paid for from my Ministerial office budget,” she said.
“Expenses relating to parliamentary business should have been funded from the Sydney Allowance provided to MPs in non-metropolitan electorates.”
Minister Saffin said she would reimburse her ministerial office budget for the difference between what had been paid from it and what her Sydney Allowance, the entitlement provided to MPs from non-metropolitan electorates, would have covered. The Sydney travel costs will instead be claimed through that allowance, in line with the usual process for MPs claiming parliamentary entitlements.
She said a separate review of ministerial staff travel expenses had not identified any further issues requiring action.
“I regret that this administrative error was not picked up and rectified sooner, but I hope my experience will result in greater awareness of Ministerial and MPs’ entitlements for everyone,” Minister Saffin said.
She used the statement to defend regional MPs holding ministerial posts.
“I strongly believe regional MPs should be able to serve as Ministers. Regional communities deserve a strong voice around the Cabinet table, and the practical reality of living outside Sydney should never be a barrier to that,” she said.
“In my 22 years of public service as an elected official, I have always acted with integrity and will continue to do so. It is my great honour and privilege to serve the people of my Lismore Electorate and the people of NSW as Minister for Small Business, Recovery and the North Coast,” Minister Saffin said.
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