Brisbane City Council’s annual report reveals that over the past financial year, the LNP Administration has approved $125,000 of international travel charged to ratepayers, or $342 a day.
Under “Disclosures”, Council must list all overseas travel Councillors and staff make in an official capacity.
During the last Financial Year, LNP Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner has been to Lausanne, Singapore, Manchester and Paris.
Also listed were LNP Councillors Vicki Howard, Krista Adams and Deputy Mayor, Fiona Cunningham.
Overseas travel is often for “forums” and “summits”, but last year also included trips for then Deputy Mayor, Krista Adams, and Central Ward Councillor, Vicki Howard, to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
That trip drew criticism after the four-page report brought back before Council referenced the need run bus services and collect rubbish during the Olympic Games, widely considered the day-to-day business of Brisbane City Council already.
Brisbane Labor Opposition Leader, Jared Cassidy, slammed the spend as “shameful waste of ratepayer’s money in a cost-of-living crisis”
“He [Adrian Schrinner] has the nerve to tell Brisbane that Council can’t afford to restore the crumbling Story Bridge, repair footpaths, manage weeds, cut overgrown trees or make repairs still outstanding after Ex-TC Alfred.
Perhaps people would believe him if he cut back on his frequent-flyer lifestyle first.
The only thing moving in Brisbane is LNP councillors through the Brisbane International Qantas lounge. The rest of Brisbane is stuck under Schrinner.”
The Lord Mayor will travel to Dubai in October for the Asia-Pacific City Leader’s Summit.
