50 overs cricket world cup 2023

Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles took a 2,000 kilometre round trip on a taxpayer-funded flight to watch the Cricket World Cup on Sunday in India.

The Defence Minister and Foreign Minister Penny Wong are in India to co-chair the 2nd India-Australia 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi.

But it has now emerged he popped into Ahmedabad, which is 1,000 kilometres away, to attend the world cup in the cricket-mad country.

His latest VIP flight comes after revelations Mr Marles’ expenses for flights have totalled nearly $3.6 million this year.

But taxpayers may never know a breakdown of the cost of the cricket trip because Mr Marles’ department has banned the publication of where ministers are flying on “security grounds”.

This is despite the fact the Defence Minister posed for photographs during the cricket game and the Indian Government put out a press release the day before he attended. 

His office confirmed he made the journey on a taxpayer-funded RAAF VIP jet for the six-hour pitstop before flying to New Delhi.

“Look who is here to support and cheer for #TeamAustralia! Our Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence @RichardMarlesMP is at, #Ahmedabad to witness #INDvsAUS #CWC2023Final,‘’ the Australian High Commissioner Philip Green said.

“It cannot get bigger than this!”