Eye-watering amount Albanian ambassador for gender equality has flown around the world at the expense of taxpayers
The Albanian government’s ambassador for gender equality has spent more than $335,000 of taxpayers’ money on plane tickets and hotels in just under two years.
Stephanie Copus-Campbell has flown to 24 countries since she was appointed to the role by Foreign Secretary Penny Wong in December 2022, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade documents obtained by the Federal Opposition Show.
James Stevens, spokesman for the opposition Waste Government, said the documents, obtained under freedom of information laws, reflected an excessive use of taxpayers’ money.
“Important progress can be made on gender equality,” Mr Stevens said the Daily Telegraph.
‘But this role appears to require a lot of time spent sitting in airport lounges and on international business class flights, at great cost to taxpayers.’
Previously referred to as the “Women and Girls Ambassador,” Ms Copus-Campbell’s role was created in 2011 by former Labor Prime Minister Julia Gillard to promote the rights of women and girls, “particularly in the Indo-Pacific -region’.
Although some of Ms Copus-Campbell’s trips were to that region, five of the most expensive trips were to the US and four to New York.
The first was attending a session of the Commission on the Status of Women in New York City and a bilateral visit to Washington in March last year that cost $23,442, including more than $13,800 in airfare and $6,425 for accommodation.
Stephanie Copus-Campbell has flown to 24 countries since being appointed Australia’s Gender Equality Ambassador in December 2022
Ms Copus-Campbell’s role was previously called the ‘women and girls ambassador’ and was created in 2011 by former Labor Prime Minister Julia Gillard.
The following June, Ms Copus-Campbell, a veteran aid worker and former senior executive, attended the Australia-US Strategic Dialogue on Gender Equality in Washington and spent $21,600, including more than $20,000 on flights.
A few months later, in September, American-born Ms. Copus-Campbell spent $23,244, including more than $20,000 on flights, to attend a “global meeting on countering the gender equality crisis” in New York.
Ms Copus-Campbell returned to New York in March this year and also to Mexico and Chile for talks at a cost of more than $37,000, including paying more than $28,000 for flights.
In June, Ms. Copus-Campbell combined a trip to New York with a trip to Mexico to attend talks, including the “global dialogue on technology,” at a cost of $21,154.
A Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesperson said Ms Copus-Campbell’s travels were within the scope of her role and advanced Australia’s interests and position in the world.
“That’s why an ambassadorial role to promote women’s empowerment and gender equality has existed for more than 13 years – and many of Australia’s closest allies and partners have equal ambassadors, for the same reasons,” he said.
Mr Stevens asked what Australian ambassadors abroad, particularly Kevin Rudd in the US, were doing to require such regular support from Ms Copus-Campbell.
“If Anthony Albanese has so much confidence that our ambassador to America is doing his job, he should explain why his gender ambassador has been to America five times in 15 months,” he said.
“Labor has spent $335,000 flying someone around the world to do exactly what the 100-plus ambassadors we already have should be doing.
“Together, the ambassadors for climate change, First Nations people and gender have spent nearly $750,000 of taxpayer dollars on international travel alone.”
Of that amount, the “Climate Change Ambassador” has earned about $260,000 on travel, while the “Ambassador of First Nations Peoples” has spent $145,000.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade for comment.
