NSW Liberal senator billed taxpayers for travel allowance on day of Melbourne Cup marquee event

New South Wales Liberal senator Hollie Hughes justified claiming a taxpayer-funded travel allowance for Melbourne Cup day by saying the alcohol company that gave her a spot in its marquee had employees in her home state, making her attendance parliamentary business.

Hughes billed taxpayers for a short trip to Melbourne in 2019, during which Victorian brewery Furphy, owned by alcohol giant Lion, treated her to an $800 spot in its Flemington marquee on Melbourne Cup day.

The NSW senator had no other official engagements that day in Melbourne, but did have meetings and media engagements in Melbourne either side of race day, which justified the trip and her expense claim as predominantly for parliamentary business.

Furphy is a Geelong brewery.

Ipea accepted the explanation and said the case warranted no further investigation. But it also told the senator that she would need to be prepared to publicly justify her claim.

The Guardian asked Hughes whether she stood by her claim that her attendance was linked to her parliamentary work because Lion had employees in her state.

NSW Covid rules require positive cases to isolate for seven days. Those who test positive also must wait a further 24 hours if they are experiencing a sore throat, runny nose, cough, or shortness of breath before ending isolation.

A spokesperson said the senator had begun isolation on 2 April, a day after she appeared in parliament, until 9 April. The senator then finished her isolation the day prior to the Sky News interview, and returned a negative rapid test on the day of the interview.

The spokesperson did not respond to further questions about the Melbourne Cup travel allowance claim.