SUNSHINE Coast MP Peter Slipper’s office booked and then later cancelled more than 120 flights for himself and family members – creating more than $23,000 worth of future credits in the process.

A Department of Finance report into MP’s entitlements showed 123 flights were booked in June 2010 and then later cancelled.

Of those, Mr Slipper used $3928.90 worth of accrued credits before the end of December last year.

While the department confirmed yesterday that all the tickets had been booked in June, 2010, it said it could not confirm dates of actual intended travel.

A spokeswoman said attempts would be made to provide that data next week.

Mr Slipper is under fire for his extravagent use of public money.

His six-month bill for the period ending on December, 2010, outstripped that of most cabinet ministers.

In July alone last year when Parliament was not sitting, he ran up travel expenses for air tickets and ground transport of more than $20,000.

The MP is entitled to unlimited business-class travel for parliamentary and electoral purposes.

While there is no suggestion that Mr Slipper has breached guidelines by booking and then cancelling so many flights, the behaviour is extraordinary.

A Sunshine Coast Daily examination of the entitlement claims of more than 200 past and current Senators and Members for the period July 1-December 31, 2010 could find no other example replicating the volume or concentration of tickets booked and subsequently cancelled.

Generally ticketed dates shown in Members entitlements correspond to the dates of actual travel to and from Canberra.

The volume of tickets booked and cancelled by the LNP Member for Fisher only became apparent in accounts for the July 1-December 31 period for last year released earlier this month.

Mr Slipper said the forward bookings were made for planned travel “given earlier criticism of expenses incurred”.

“The intention was to minimise the cost of travel by booking the cheapest possible airfares well ahead, however as flexibility proved to be necessary it subsequently seemed better to cancel and place funds in credit for future travel,” a statement from Mr Slipper said.

“The reason that forward booking of cheap tickets does not appear to be a common practice is perhaps because other MPs have not been subjected to unreasonable criticism by the media with respect to spending within guidelines and in carrying out parliamentary duties.”

Mr Slipper launched an attack on the Daily, claiming the paper was mounting a political campaign.

“The Daily makes the News of the World look like a paragon of journalistic virtue,” he said.

“I have spoken to the Special Minister of State with a view that in future the figures published more accurately reflect the cost of travel undertaken during the reporting period in question.”

When first questioned about the claims the Department of Finance and Deregulation said it was common for a Senator or Member to make multiple advance bookings in relation to a particular day’s travel.

It claimed this could occur when they were travelling to attend a committee hearing of unknown duration.

However, inquiries with electoral secretaries who regularly book travel on behalf of their members has revealed that the duration of committee hearings are invariably of specific duration and are notified well in advance.

Secretaries book flexible fares which can be changed if parliament runs over as it occasionally does.

SLIPPER'S FLIGHT BOOKINGS

FLIGHTS booked and paid for in 2010 for travel during June, 2011 by the MP. All were cancelled before December 31, 2010, credits applied to his account for use before corresponding dates in 2012

June 6: Three flights from Brisbane to Canberra via Sydney; eight from Canberra to Brisbane via Sydney

June 14: One flight from Adelaide to Sydney; two from Sydney to Brisbane

June 22: One flight from Brisbane to Longreach; one Longreach to Brisbane; one from Canberra to Sydney; one from Brisbane to Canberra via Sydney

June 23: One flight to Sydney from Brisbane; one from Canberra to Brisbane via Sydney; one from Brisbane to Canberra via Sydney

June 26: One flight to Canberra via Sydney; one from Brisbane to Townsville; two from Brisbane to Melbourne; one from Adelaide to Brisbane via Melbourne; one from Townsville to Brisbane; one from Canberra to Brisbane via Sydney and two from Melbourne to Brisbane.

June 27: Three flights from Sydney to Brisbane; one from Canberra to Sydney; two from Brisbane to Sydney

June 28: Two flights from Brisbane to Dubbo via Sydney; two from Dubbo to Brisbane via Sydney; one from Brisbane to Adelaide via Sydney; one from Adelaide to Brisbane via Sydney; one from Adelaide to Brisbane via Melbourne; one from Brisbane to Adelaide via Sydney and one from Canberra to Brisbane via Sydney.

June 29: Eight flights from Canberra to Sydney via Brisbane; one from Brisbane to Hobart via Sydney and Melbourne; one from Adelaide to Brisbane via Melbourne; two from Brisbane to Adelaide via Sydney; one from Hobart to Brisbane via Melbourne; two from Brisbane to Melbourne and two from Melbourne to Brisbane; two from Brisbane to Sydney; one from Adelaide to Brisbane via Sydney; eight from Brisbane to Canberra via Sydney; one from Sydney to Brisbane and one flight from Townsville to Brisbane

FLIGHTS BOOKED FOR FAMILY MEMBERS

FLIGHTS booked for family members – identified as Traveller 1 and Traveller 2 – booked in the second half of 2010 for travel in June 2011 that were subsequently cancelled before December 31, 2010:

TRAVELLER 1

June 16: Canberra to Brisbane via Sydney; Brisbane to Canberra via Sydney

June 20: Canberra to Brisbane via Sydney

June 22: Brisbane to Longreach; Longreach to Brisbane; Brisbane to Canberra

June 23: Canberra to Brisbane via Sydney; Brisbane to Canberra via Sydney

June 25: Brisbane to Adelaide via Sydney and return via Sydney

June 27: Canberra to Brisbane via Sydney; two tickets for flights from Brisbane to Canberra via Sydney

June 28: Canberra to Brisbane via Sydney

June 29: Three flights to Brisbane from Canberra via Sydney; one flight from Brisbane to Perth via Sydney; one flight from Perth to Brisbane via Sydney; one flight from Brisbane to Hobart via Sydney and Melbourne; one flight from Brisbane to Adelaide via Sydney; one flight from Hobart to Brisbane via Melbourne; one flight from Canberra to Sydney; one flight from Adelaide to Brisbane via Sydney; four flights from Brisbane to Canberra via Sydney; one flight from Sydney to Brisbane

TRAVELLER 2

June 14: One flight from Brisbane to Canberra via Sydney

June 21: One flight from Brisbane to Canberra via Sydney; one flight from Brisbane to Townsville; one flight from Canberra to Brisbane via Sydney and one from Townsville to Brisbane

June 26: One flight from Canberra to Brisbane via Sydney

June 27: One flight from Brisbane to Canberra via Sydney and one from Canberra to Brisbane again via Sydney

June 29: Five flights from Canberra to Brisbane via Sydney; one from Brisbane to Horn Island via Cairns and one return; and six flights from Brisbane to Canberra via Sydney