Defence extravagance uncovered

SYDNEY - The Australian Department of Defence has spent millions of dollars on luxury items that seem only remotely related to its role.

After a three-month study of A$48 billion ($62.32 billion) of contracts awarded in the past four years, the Sydney Morning Herald has found poor accountability that has allowed some military personnel to subsidise their lifestyles.

Some of the dubious or apparently excessive expenses uncovered among more than 83,000 contracts obtained from Department of Finance and Deregulations records are:

More than A$1.4 billion on travel, including private Lear jets, first-class flights and stays at five-star hotels and resorts around the world; original oil paintings and handmade office furniture, including A$40,000 for custom-designed leather couches; membership of exclusive clubs, the use of personal trainers, and subsidised overseas sporting trips; a A$1.7 million bill to accommodate trainee recruits in hotel rooms in Sydney and Melbourne.

The newspaper reports finding "phantom contracts" that have puzzled the companies that supposedly won them.

It says its examination "raises new questions about the accountability of a department that has become the single biggest spender of taxpayer dollars".

- AAP