Dining out on the taxpayer dime will be curtailed for education department staff after more than $12,000 in restaurant bills were made public.
The head of the education agency, Tony Cook, came under fire from Liberal senator Sarah Henderson in a parliamentary hearing about the cost of his staff holding meetings at high-end restaurants.
"No matter who it is, holding a meeting should be in a meeting room with a cup of tea and a biscuit," Senator Henderson said on Thursday.
In answers to questions on notice, the department said $12,637.31 had been spent by staff at fine dining restaurants across Australia and South Korea over a six-month period.
Fine dining venues including Mezzalira in Canberra, Ginger Indian in Sydney, Mabu Mabu in Melbourne and the one-hat establishment Courgette were used for meetings and the cost of the meals claimed on expenses.
The average cost per person for the dinners was $81 but the highest - at Mezzalira - was $171.
Senator Henderson characterised the spending as "flagrant waste" and called it "restaurant rorts".
"I'm in furious agreement with you," Mr Cook told the committee.
His agency's hospitality and travel policy was revised to reflect Australian Tax Office rates, which meant most of the restaurants listed were now out of range.
Staff are now expected to expense $77 or less for meals.
Mr Cook raised the changes with Education Minister Jason Clare.
"We have let the taxpayers down in terms of what they would expect from public servants," he said.
"It should not have happened."
