WA Parliament Speaker Michael Sutherland. Source: News Limited
WA Parliament's big-spending Speaker, Michael Sutherland, has racked up nearly $26,000 in taxpayer-funded dining costs since he took over the job just over a year ago.
Parliamentary documents show the Liberal MP is spending nearly $500 a week dining other politicians, parliamentary staff and community groups.
Mr Sutherland held 21 morning teas, nine afternoon teas, 23 standard working lunches and nine receptions from April 15 last year to May 21 this year at a cost of $25,857.
Examples of his entertainment costs include:
● A $500 LUNCH for his former colleagues from the City of Perth.
● THREE CHRISTMAS lunches totalling $3626 for Acting Speakers, Former Speakers and for Legislative Assembly staff.
● TWO RECEPTIONS for "discussion with members" totalling $1076.
● $1267 for a "Jewish Community/Montgomery Bible Presentation".
On one October day Mr Sutherland had morning tea with the Church of Latter-Day Saints costing $150 and then another morning tea with his political colleagues costing $33.50. He then had a $74.80 lunch with the "Australasian Safari Group and members".
Mr Sutherland landed the plum $246,000-a-year Speaker's job last April ahead of former police minister Rob Johnson.
He was criticised for organising taxpayer-paid trips for himself and MPs to Japan and South Korea and again for spending $27,000 on new furniture for his office.
He defended the overseas trips at the time as a "longstanding bipartisan practice" of the Speaker.
Martin Drum, a senior lecturer in politics and international relations at Notre Dame University, said Mr Sutherland's spending was not a "good look".
"We accept that you have to spend money on dignitaries, but it has to been in keeping with the overall state of the state's finances," he said. "I think he has to be mindful of the expenses given the loss of the AAA credit rating."
Mr Sutherland is spending more than former Nationals Speaker Grant Woodhams, who retired at the last election.
Parliamentary figures show that in 2009-10, Mr Woodhams spent $12,287.55. In 2010-11, he spent $16,543.30 and in 2011-12 he spent $20,417.65.
You have to go back to 2005-06, when former Labor Speaker Fred Riebeling spent $28,781.55, to find anyone who matched Mr Sutherland's spending.
Mr Sutherland yesterday defended the costs.
"Expenditure under my watch has been at or below the spending levels of a decade ago under a Labor Speaker," he told The Sunday Times.
"Taking into the account the inflationary effect over that time, this means that the current expenditure is lower in real terms than it was a decade ago."
He defended "extending hospitality" to other politicians "from time to time to discuss parliamentary matters".
According to the WA Parliament website, the $246,000-a-year job of being the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly is "an ancient and important office of the Westminster parliamentary system".
The principal duty is to preside over the Assembly by maintaining "order" in the House, upholding Standing Orders and protecting the rights of backbench members.
The Speaker does not normally vote, but has a casting vote in the event that numbers in a division are equal.
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