Golf-mad Richard Marles flew to King Island in Tasmania with an AFP security detail for a private golf trip in April but paid his own way with a Rex airline flight.
The Deputy Prime Minister has refused to answer questions in Parliament this week over whether he ever packed his golf clubs when flying in RAAF VIP flights amid revelations he’s run up a $3.6 million bill.
Mr Marles was however sighted by locals on King Island, Tasmania in April playing at the $275-a-day Cape Wickham golf course which was hailed by Golf Australia Magazine as one of the best courses in the country.
It was during the same week he was acting prime minister and he was accompanied by AFP agents and his son, but he appears to have taken a day off and handed the reins to Foreign Minister Penny Wong for the golf trip.
While some locals claimed Mr Marles stayed at a luxury AirBnB, Mr Marles stayed the local pub the first night and in a studio room and at the Cape Wickham golf course the second night.
“We were kind of amused because we saw the security detail,” local businessman David Looker said.
“He wasn’t on a VIP flight, I hasten to add.”
“He had his son with him and they played some golf,” King Island Courier editor Pam Rolley confirmed.
An article in the local newspaper in April confirms that “Richard Marles took a break from Canberra and chose King Island for some R&R.
“During his time on the island, he was Acting Prime Minister, and the King Island Council Chambers and support were at his disposal if needed,’’ it stated.
But Mr Marles, who is acting Prime Minister this week, has refused to comment on the private trip and said he was “going for a run” shortly after 7am when he was approached outside Parliament by news.com.au.
Mr Marles then ran away in the opposite direction in exercise gear.
While he has declined to comment on the trip, sources on King Island have confirmed that Mr Marles flew into the island April 10, 2023 at 11.05am on a Rex airlines flight.
At the time, he was briefly acting Prime Minister according to the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet website while Anthony Albanese took a short holiday over the Easter break.
But another local businessman who contacted news.com.au on Monday said he thought the security was over the top.
“Richard Marles and his troop of assistants and security detail visited our isle to play golf at the prestigious Cape Wickham Golf Course,’’ he said.
“I met the AFP officers who were assigned to this trip at the course, in fact – both carrying man bags that, of course, had protective weapons in them. I remember thinking to myself at the time, what an extraordinary expense that the taxpayer is funding here so our Deputy Prime Minister can come to play golf.
“Personally I believe Richard Marles was taking the proverbial ‘piss’ with this trip to play at the #2 ranked golf course in Australia.
“I hope you can utilise this information to further expose this egregious exploitation of government spending.”
News.com.au has contacted Mr Marles for comment about the trip but his office has not responded to emails.
Mr Marles could be forced to hand over the secret advice he is using to justify an information blackout on his RAAF VIP flights.
As a furore erupts over whether or not he packed his golf clubs on the $3.6 million flights, the Coalition and the Greens are joining forces to demand transparency.
Liberal Senator James McGrath said the Coalition was calling on Labor to “stand up and explain the policy behind the decision to restrict information concerning the details or politicians’ flights.”
“We seem to have the Deputy Prime Minister using the Royal Australian Air Force as a golf buggy to transport his golf clubs around this country,” Senator McGrath said.
“Now, it may be the case that these flights are legitimate. But we don’t know because the government will not release the information about these flights.”
More Coverage
The Greens and the Coalition are expected to join forces to demand action with the Coalition proposing its own OPD (Order of Production of Documents) tomorrow in the Senate.
It will request the Government provide the Special Purpose Aircraft guidelines and revised advice to PJCIS – the government’s national security committee.
Last month, it was revealed Mr Marles was personally consulted over the decision to stop publishing politicians’ VIP flights.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7r7HWrGWcp51jrrZ7zZqroqeelrlwvM6loK2hk6h8pbHPrquyZaCierO1wqGYq5xdoq6zuMSsZKydlaN6uLXToWSanqBiwKav1KugrbFdmbK1rcilZJ2top67qHnPq6CvmaSaeqi7y59kraqZpXq1u4ylrLGtoq56qr%2FLmqWdZ56axLR50q2mq7FfZ392gI%2BdmHFvYGZ%2FpoDBm5hvcJSafnKyl22cnmqRbYI%3D