LOCAL Government Minister Russell Wortley says an overseas trip on which he was joined by his wife and son represents "good value" for taxpayers.
Mr Wortley took a $47,000, 19-day trip to Paris, London and Edinburgh to discuss the role of local government, accountability, heritage preservation and cemeteries.
His wife, former Labor senator Dana Wortley, and son Che met him during the trip and shared accommodation.
However, Mr Wortley said they paid for their own travel and other costs.
It comes six months after Premier Jay Weatherill introduced new guidelines for parliamentary travel that state MPs' children and spouses should not travel on the taxpayer's dollar.
"I travelled within the guidelines," Mr Wortley said. "At no stage did we travel together (as a family). At the end of the day there was no (extra) cost to the taxpayer."
Mr Wortley said it was "never a good time for a minister to travel".
"There'll be people out there feeling that it was inappropriate but once again, ministers need to travel, they need to dialogue with what's happening overseas.''
MPs are required to report to Parliament on their use of travel allowances but ministers are only accountable to Cabinet.
Mr Wortley said he briefed Cabinet on the trip yesterday and would also prepare a report for Parliament.
Liberal MPs have previously called for ministers to also prepare parliamentary reports but Premier Jay Weatherill said yesterday there were "no plans to change these arrangements".
Opposition Leader Isobel Redmond said Mr Wortley's trip was "particularly poor timing ... when in fact the Government is telling everyone we've got to tighten our belts because of a lack of funding that's coming into the system".
"I would encourage the Premier to talk to his ministers and indeed all of his members (of Parliament) about the look of penny pinching with the public and yet allowing largesse with his ministers,'' she said.
Ms Redmond said she was "as confident as I can be" that no Liberal MP had improperly used travel allowances.
"But you never know what might jump out," she said. "I'd rather focus on policy at all times rather than sticking the boot into any individual. I don't think that's what politics should be about."
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