Revealed: How much Chris Minns’ passage to India cost taxpayers

October 13, 2026– 4:00 am

When Premier Chris Minns led a NSW federal government journey to India just recently, the see was accompanied by media releases, social networks posts and sufficient excitement to make a Bollywood film manufacturer blush.

Now CBD has actually found the expense of the journey, which was silently and inconspicuously launched without any excitement.

That’s reasonable when it ends up taxpayers handed over practically a quarter of a million dollars: $225,120.78, to be accurate. That’s according to the federal government’s finest price quotes noted in brand-new disclosures about the journey, published online just recently.

The premier took a trip with his spouse, Anna Minnswhom the federal government stated was a main ambassador for the state, to Delhi and Mumbai in late August, intending to engage with Indian services and to bring financial investment from among the world’s biggest and fastest-growing economies into NSW. The journey lasted 8 days, consisting of travel.

Did it work? The federal government launched a nine-page summary of the conferences and advantages to individuals of NSW. What was of interest to CBD was the eye-watering cost of flights: $164,398 for the premier and his partner, Treasurer Daniel Mookhey3 NSW Police and 10 personnel.

“International airlines tickets were affected by the worldwide fuel crisis as an outcome of the dispute in the Middle East,” the report states. “As a guide, the ACCC reported jet fuel costs were over 40 percent greater in early June 2026 compared to mid-February 2026, increasing expense pressures throughout the air travel sector.”

The premier’s workplace encouraged us, when we investigated, the Labor federal government had considerably cut the quantity of travel its ministers did compared to the Coalition: over 22 objectives, the Coalition invested $1.42 million. The present federal government, over 11 journeys, has actually invested about $547,000.

Jaunts on the taxpayer penny are never ever popular– simply ask Sydney’s numerous regional councils that have actually sprinkled out 10s of thousands for many years on journeys with far less worth than the premier’s.

Think about Hawkesbury Council’s tried journey to India; Blacktown Council’s $42,000 journey to Ireland (rescheduled since of the Middle East dispute); and even Ku-ring-gai Council’s jaunt to the opposite of the city: $20,000 for a two-night remain in heaven Mountains.

The worst we’ve seen was the brazen taxpayer-funded effort at a vacation by previous Penrith Liberal mayor Tricia Hitchen in 2023: a $200,000 two-week journey meandering in between Amsterdam, London and Paris, supposedly to examine “greenfield airports” like the one concerning western Sydney. After extreme reaction, the journey was ultimately booted.

One Nation’s company pitch

Each year, agents of the country’s company lobbies get together to push the flesh with ministers and other Canberra notables under the auspices of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s (ACCI) Business Leaders’ Summit.

On Monday night, this year’s function began with a “welcome beverages” soiree sponsored by United States ecommerce leviathan Amazon, which in 2015 promised some $20 billion in Australian information centre financial investment. The capital’s strivers might anticipate a Tuesday night gala billing Prime Minister Anthony Albanese as the visitor of honour.

It’s the speakers arranged to deal with the primary occasion on Tuesday that stimulated our interest.

Amongst them was none besides One Nation leader Pauline Hansonwho, we’re informed, will be signed up with by celebration firebrand and previous Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce at the party in the theatrette in Parliament House.

Their look captured our attention since it was just about a month ago that ACCI president Andrew McKellar informed press reporters he had issues the celebration’s migration policy might run the risk of a “deep economic downturn” and do long-lasting damage to the economy. We’re currently anticipating the wash-up.

Both the Albanese federal government and Coalition are likewise represented on the docket. Environment Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen is set up to lecture on energy security. Assistant Technology Minister Andrew Charlton will offer an address on “the crucial vital to back Australian AI”, which we ‘d think will discover a method to argue it ‘d just be possible with more information centre financial investment from Amazon, OpenAI and Anthropic. Work Minister Amanda Rishworth will resolve the space.

Nationals leader Matt Canavan is set to reveal face and provide a keynote address– though on what, we’re not yet sure– while Opposition Leader Angus Taylor is on the program for a “fireside chat”. Our guess is whatever the opposition leader has to inform the space will be eclipsed by the look of previous federal treasurer Josh Frydenberg in Sydney later on that night for one amongst a string of occasions arranged for the launch of his brand-new book.

Get the day’s breaking news, home entertainment concepts and a long read to take pleasure in. Register to get our Evening Edition newsletter.