Under the Parliamentary Entitlements Act , all politicians have their travel within Australia covered if they are on Parliamentary or electorate business — including first class tickets on scheduled commercial services. If heading overseas, these entitlements can extend to clothing allowances and medical services. Politicians are also entitled to a travel allowance for overnight stays, with varying rates for different positions and locations. Accommodation and sustenance at official establishments is provided at Government expense.
There is also a limit on the number of overnight stays that politicians can claim — up to 90 for some MPs. Ministers can also claim the cost of travel for their spouse, if it is in Australia and for official purposes. Explore how much your local politician spent from January 1 to July 30 in with our interactive chart, ordered from the politician with the most expenses claimed to the least.
Some past politicians will also appear, having lodged prior expenses with the Department of Finance during the six-month period. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn, and work. What entitlements are under fire? Sussan Ley stands aside pending travel expenses investigation. More on:. NZ vaccine mandates kick in, but they're the 'Trojan Horse' of the far-right movement. Three arrested under Terrorism Act after deadly UK hospital blast.
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Republicans held the House by a narrower margin 20 years ago. A House majority requires seats. After 18 years of leading her party in the House, Pelosi is unopposed for what is expected to be her final term as speaker. Republicans are expected to support Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield, meaning Pelosi can afford to lose only a few Democratic votes and still win the gavel. But only those who are physically in the chamber may cast a ballot, and with several House members or members-elect staying home because they have been exposed to the coronavirus, some Democrats are anxious about the potential for a nail-biter of a vote.
In , 15 Democrats did not vote for Pelosi; 10 of them are still in Congress. She is expected to win, but members could wrest promises from her about rule changes or legislation to secure their votes. Ed Pagano, who was a top legislative advisor to President Obama, laughed at the idea that a Democrat would cast a protest vote against Pelosi when it could cost their party control of the chamber.
But once that vote is complete, Pelosi will have to wrangle the discordant portions of her caucus, which faces a burgeoning intraparty battle between moderates and progressives over how best to govern. Opposition to Trump has helped hold them together, but a tight margin means a handful of members from any faction — such as the so-called Squad, a group of young progressive women — will be able to block legislation. And they know it. Abigail Spanberger, whose wins in traditionally Republican areas helped Democrats secure the majority.
John A. Boehner, the Ohio Republican who was House speaker until he was pushed aside by the far right of his party in Arshi Siddiqui, a former senior advisor and counsel to Pelosi, said the House Democratic Caucus understands that with Biden in the White House, longtime party priorities that have languished during the Trump years have a better chance of becoming law.
For the first few months at least, the new Congress is expected to focus on negotiating another COVID economic relief package. Regardless of the Georgia [Senate runoff] results, must-pass legislation and bipartisanship represent the most efficient route to legislation in Yet even if Democrats pull off victories in both Senate runoffs, tight margins in both chambers have led leaders to scale back expectations.
There seems to be little incentive for House Republicans to assist Democrats in passing bills, especially after the fights of the Trump administration. Trump has led a falsehood-filled campaign to overturn the election results and has pressured lawmakers to help him. The effort has drawn criticism from Democrats and Republicans alike who worry it is undermining democracy.
Steel said the tight margin in both chambers gives Republicans more power heading into the new Congress than they had in the last session. They had unexpectedly large gains in , reclaiming several seats they lost in , and they have eyes on the midterm election, as those historically go against the party that holds the White House.
The Senate now stands at 50 Republicans, 46 Democrats and two independents who caucus with the Democrats. If Democrats win both Senate runoff races in Georgia, they will effectively have a majority, since Vice President-elect Kamala Harris can cast a tiebreaking vote in her role as Senate president.
Sarah D. Wire covers Congress for the Los Angeles Times.
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