Australian public servant in expenses row involving trip to Malta

Australian media have hit out at a mid-ranking public servant, Vicki Antoniou, who reportedly accompanied Australian multicultural affairs minister Jennifer Rankine on a 20-day trip from September 22 to October 11, flying business class Adelaide-London-Rome-Athens-Cyprus-Malta-London-Singapore-Melbourne. The final Melbourne-Adelaide flight also was business class.

According to 'Adelaide Now' newspaper, under usual protocols only the most senior public servants such as departmental chief executives fly business class.

Antoniou is described by Rankine's office as a "senior officer for multicultural affairs".

She is a public servant employed by the Department of Communities and Social Inclusion, rather than a ministerial adviser employed by the Department of Premier and Cabinet who would normally accompany a minister on such a trip.

Antoniou's costs for the trip - about AUS$13,500 for airfares, almost AUS$5000 for hotels and more than AUS$2200 spending money - were billed to the ministry where questions have been raised about why they were so high at a time when all departments have been placed under orders to make significant savings amid the state's Budget problems.

Another newspaper, 'The Sunday Mail' has said to have seen documents suggesting normal departmental processes for approving the trip were not followed.

Antoniou previously worked as an office manager for former multicultural affairs minister Michael Atkinson, where her husband Peter is an electorate officer, until Atkinson went to the backbench after the 2010 state election.

After Atkinson went to the backbench, a position was created for Antoniou in Rankine's office, funded by Multicultural SA. Atkinson is the current partner of Rankine.

A 2009 media report from Odessa, Ukraine, describes a South Australian delegation to the city led by Atkinson which includes Antoniou as Atkinson's "office manager".

An Australian government spokesman confirmed Antoniou travelled with Atkinson to Greece and Ukraine in 2009 and "performed dual roles as Office Manager and as Senior Ministerial Officer for Multicultural Affairs".

The business class trip follows an overhaul of public service and politicians' travel expenses following a series of stories in the Sunday Mail.

The changes came after revelations public servants' and MPs' travel was costing AUS$500,000 a week, prompting Finance Minister Michael O'Brien to instigate changes which cut costs by 10 per cent.

These included an order early last year that public servants take the "lowest logical airfare" to a destination in time for their duties.

Rankine's office confirmed Mrs Antoniou was not a ministerial adviser but in a statement defended her going on the trip.

"Mrs Antoniou has 20 years' experience in multicultural affairs and has extensive knowledge of the Italian, Greek and Maltese communities in South Australia," the statement reads. "Mrs Antoniou has expertise in the field of religious and cultural protocol and provided briefings to the Minister before meetings with senior figures throughout the trip. Mrs Antoniou organised the itinerary, prepared briefings and wrote speeches.

"She briefed the Minister before high level meetings particularly in relation to keeping the Italian consul open in Adelaide, a multicultural affairs conference in Malta and Greek Independence Day in Cyprus. Mrs Antoniou, who speaks fluent Greek, also performed the role of interpreter."