Grounded ministers to save taxpayers thousands as they stay home

That means there was only a little more than three months in which overseas travel was banned in the 2019-20 financial year.

There has been no guarantee borders will be open by July 2021, despite Qantas putting international tickets on sale.

Travel reports show Education Minister Grace Grace went on a $43,817 trip to the US in November 2019 to explore trade opportunities, particularly in international education, tourism and regulation of amusement devices.

Former treasurer Jackie Trad’s Queensland Treasury Corporation annual global roadshow to the UK, France and the US from July to August 2019 cost taxpayers $40,726.

The annual trip, also undertaken by previous treasurers, is designed to spruik the state’s economy to investors and promote Queensland government bonds.

Ms Trad also travelled to China in September 2019, at a cost of $17,086, for the 30th anniversary celebrations of the Queensland/Shanghai sister state relationship.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk flew to Switzerland from September 7 to 12, 2019, to discuss a potential Queensland bid for the 2032 Olympics, at a cost of $32,979.

Ms Palaszczuk also incurred more than $5000 in expenses from a cancelled trip to China.

Other ministers to travel overseas were Cameron Dick, who went to the Bio World Congress 2019 in the US ($28,387), Yvette D’Ath who travelled to New Zealand for a forum on consumer affairs ($5785), Kate Jones who went to China to discuss tourism ($19,432), Mark Bailey who went to France, the UK and Norway to meet with transport authorities and receive briefings on smart ticketing, hydrogen and electric public transport vehicles ($36,615), and Mark Furner who went to Indonesia and Singapore to strengthen trade relationships in beef, sugar, cotton and grain ($30,791).

In comparison, the overseas travel report for July to September 2020, unsurprisingly, comes to a grand total of $0.

Despite international borders being slammed shut, Queensland ministers did not shy away from domestic travel, spending $1.12 million in 2019-20.

In comparison, they spent $1.15 million the previous year.