Mike Newman spent $7,791 on a single dinner with 71 beers while trade
Mike Newman led One Nation in NSW. He spent $7,791 on a dinner with 71 beers as a trade commissioner.
Senior NSW officials challenged Mike Newman's spending. He was a trade commissioner in Japan for 28 months, documents show.
His biggest expense was a $7,791 dinner with a Japanese trade group. It included 71 beers and 23 bottles of wine.
Officials rejected a $211 lunch bill. They said it "exceeded reasonable cost" and was "not how the NSW government does business".
Newman also charged taxpayers about $20,494 for a seven-month Sydney hotel stay before moving to Japan. He spent about $8,000 per month to rent an apartment in Tokyo.
One official asked why he had stayed 32 nights when only 25 days were approved. Newman defended his spending.
He said he paid for some costs himself. He said the dinners helped business connections.
- $7,791
- Dinner cost
- 71
- Beers at dinner
- 28 months
- Japan tenure
- $20,494 for 7 months
- Sydney hotel stay
Why it mattersPublic funds accountability: Reports about a senior government official's spending raise questions about oversight and approval processes for taxpayer-funded expenses.
AustraliaNSW public sector spending is under scrutiny as Newman, who has criticised government waste, faces questions about his own use of taxpayer money.
✓ Claims checked against the source. checked 2 h ago
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