
Revealed: Every gift our pollies got in 2020
Corporate-box tickets to major sporting events, pre-pandemic overseas flights and even a kava bowl from Samoa are among the free gifts pocketed by Queensland's federal politicians in the past year.
There were flights to Bangladesh, India and Israel from lobby groups and a charity were accepted by three MPs.
Meanwhile ALP figure Evan Moorhead's lobby firm Anacta Strategies shouted two Queensland Labor senators tickets to the AFL grand final valued at $2250.
The gifts are revealed in the official register of interests for federal MPs and senators.
One of the most prolific gift accepters was Member for Moncrieff Angie Bell, who declared on her register of interest tickets to the PGA championship, Big Bash tickets, Eurovision Australia Decides, Magic Millions Hospitality, Pink Ribbon Race Day at the Gold Coast Turf Club, two events at the Home of the Arts on the Gold Coast, as well as a study tour to Bangladesh paid for by Save the Children.
Ms Bell said it was important to maintain high levels of transparency in regards to gifts.
"The Gold Coast is Australia's event capital and as such, when not in Canberra, I am very active across the Moncrieff electorate and enjoy engaging with my community," she said.
Ms Bell said she was part of a parliamentary delegation supported by Save the Children to highlight the humanitarian crisis faced by the Rohingya people in Bangladesh, and recently spoke about it in Parliament.




Also jetsetting off were Member for Lilley Anika Wells, who declared flights to India courtesy of the Australia-India Youth Dialogue in January, while Member for Forde Bert van Manen took a study trip to Israel provided by Australia/Israel and Jewish Affairs Council in late December 2019.
One of the more unique gifts declared was a wooden Samoan kava bowl declared by LNP senator Paul Scarr.
Senator Scarr said he received it from the leader of a Samoan diaspora community for sponsoring a rugby tournament for Pacific Island youths.
Labor senators Murray Watt and Anthony Chisholm watched the AFL grand final in style at the Gabba in October.

State of Origin Game 3 in Brisbane was attended by Senator Chisholm and Member for Oxley Milton Dick, who also snagged tickets to the AFL preliminary final between the Brisbane Lions and Geelong.
That game was also attended free of charge by Liberal National MPs Trevor Evans (Brisbane) and Julian Simmonds (Ryan).
Industry Minister Karen Andrews was treated to the rhapsody of the Queen and Adam Lambert concert in February.
Originally published as Revealed: Every gift our pollies got in 2020