Far-right senator Fraser Anning spent nearly $35,000 of taxpayers' cash flying his family around the country last year - more than any other politician Fraser Anning refused to comment on his use of taxpayer money Data shows he claimed up to $35,000 on 44 trips throughout 2018 He also toppled Mathias Cormann and Melissa Price for flight expenses By Camilla Theakstone For Daily Mail Australia Published: 23:26 GMT, 20 March 2019 | Updated: 23:26 GMT, 20 March 2019 Viewcomments Far-right senator Fraser Anning has topped the list for costing taxpayers the most money in family flight expenses in 2018. Senator Anning spent the most money out of all politicians, including non-ministerial or shadow ministerial roles, flying his family around the country last year. According to data from the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority, he claimed $34,672 for family travel expenses on 44 trips throughout 2018. Far-right senator Fraser Anning (pictured with his wife) has topped the list for costing taxpayers the most money in family flight expenses in 2018 Mr Anning refused to comment on a series of questions from the Sydney Morning Herald regarding his use of taxpayer funds, which included $21,483 for 22 flights to places outside his Canberra home state. A spokesman for the senator said 'the interstate travel falls within parliamentary entitlement requirements and is for the benefit of his Queensland constituents.' Despite having no constituents in Victoria, Senator Anning also admitted to charging taxpayers to attend right-wing rallies in Melbourne last year. Mr Anning has recently come under intense public scrutiny for his comments after the Christchurch terror attack, blaming Muslim migration for spikes in violence. The senator has refused to apologise for the comments, despite widespread backlash from both sides of politics. During a taxpayer-funded trip last weekend, Mr Anning was 'egged' by a 17-year-old boy, nicknamed 'egg boy', protesting his remarks linking the mosque shootings to Muslim immigration. During a taxpayer-funded trip last weekend, Mr Anning was 'egged' by a 17-year-old boy, nicknamed 'egg boy', protesting his remarks linking the mosque shootings to Muslim immigration The data, which was released on Tuesday, revealed federal politicians claimed $139 million for all categories of expenses last year. This figure showed an increase of about $10 million on travel expenses from the previous year. All MPs are entitled to bring family members on trips to Canberra or around their electorate at taxpayers' expense, although there is a cost cap. They can also have three interstate family reunion trips each year. Only Mathias Cormann and Melissa Price, both cabinet ministers from Western Australia, claimed more than $30,000 for family travel trips last year. The cost of Senator Anning's staff travel was $247,128 last year, taking his total claims for the year to $556,472. Senator Anning's total entitlement claims were over half a million dollars ($556,472) in 2018 Opposition Leader Bill Shorten claimed more than any other MP, for all categories of expenses last year, totaling $3,182,385. 'The Office of the Leader of the Opposition has more staff than other MPs, so the travel expenses are higher,' a spokeswoman claimed. 'And unlike the offices of the Prime Minister and government ministers, the office flies commercially and does not use a private VIP jet, the costs of which are not listed on the expenses reports.' The accounts also reveal Prime Minister Scott Morrison spent $2000 on luxury car travel during his highly-publicised 'bus tour' of Queensland in November. Read more: Share or comment on this article: All rights reserved for this news site dailymail and under his responsibility