An Assembly delegation led by Speaker Vicki Dunne has been cleared to visit Taiwan later this month after an ethics review found it would not be in breach of official travel rules.
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A meeting of the Assembly's Commonwealth Parliamentary Association branch held on Friday unanimously passed a motion that members refrain from accepting spouse travel funded by third parties until a further review is completed.
The advice from ethics and integrity adviser Stephen Skehill came after a week of debate about members' travel and entitlements, prompted by Mrs Dunne's decision to take her husband Lyle Dunne on a trip to Malaysia for a meeting of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association in April.
The Speaker sought the advice after accepting an invitation for the delegation, departing on August 17 and including Labor backbencher Chris Bourke and Liberal Andrew Wall. She has also been cleared to take her senior adviser, Clinton White, on the trip, which will be fully paid for by the Taipei government.
Mr Skehill is also reviewing third party-funded travel and gifts across the board, which is likely to close a loophole on spouse travel which followed a ban by the ACT Remuneration Tribunal in 2014.
The fallout has seen politicians, staffers and members of the public combing through Assembly travel records in search of questionable spending.
In his written advice, Mr Skehill said the Taiwan trip presented "no necessary concern of an ethical or integrity issue". He said the federal government's decision not to recognise Taiwan as a nation state should not stop the trip going ahead, and that it could help promote trade and investment between Canberra and the island.
"I believe there is a clear territory interest in fostering and furthering the relationship between the territory and Taiwan for the benefit of the territory, and that interaction between members of the Assembly and representatives of the government of Taipei may be an appropriate strategy to that end," he wrote.
"The fact that the government of Taipei has extended the invitation in question suggests that it too shares those beliefs."
Mr Skehill said accepting the travel and accommodation should comply with the members' code of conduct, should include only proper conduct and be followed by timely public disclosure through declarations of interest.
Mrs Dunne's adviser will take part in visits, events and provide support to members of the delegation, including keeping records of the visit and any gifts exchanged.
"In my experience and understanding, it is quite common for a senior member of a government executive or of a parliament to be accompanied by a staff member on overseas visits of this nature," Mr Skehill wrote.
Mrs Dunne characterises the Taiwan trip as a gift, for which there are no restrictions other than the requirement that they must be declared on a public record if valued at more than $100 or $250 for official gifts.
Mr Skehill said this week he was yet to decide how to approach his review of gifts, but would look broadly at issues such as their source.
The trip to Sabah, Malaysia, followed contradictory advice from Assembly Clerk Tom Duncan and Mr Skehill, including Mrs Dunne's decision to convert a business class ticket paid for by the association into two economy fares.
The Remuneration Tribunal brought forward an end to spousal travel in 2014, after news broke of a $37,000 trip by Mrs Dunne, her husband, Liberal member Giulia Jones and a staffer to study prostitution laws in Europe.
