Canberra politicians have been slugging taxpayers thousands of dollars simply for driving across town to their Parliament House offices.
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MPs and senators who live within 30 kilometres of Parliament House can claim $86 a day, before tax, for turning up to work at Capital Hill when the Parliament is sitting or to attend committee meetings.
But the 221 interstate parliamentarians remain well ahead, able to claim $270 per night to cover their accommodation in the capital.
One Canberra Labor MP and a senator are refusing to claim the allowance, with Fairfax media told ACT Senator Katy Gallagher and Canberra MP Gai Brodtmann do not think it is appropriate to claim money for going to the workplace when it's a short drive from their homes.
ACT Liberal Senator Zed Seselja, who lives about 17 kilometres from Parliament House has been paid about $10,200 between his election in 2013 and June 2015 to commute to his office there.
Labor's shadow assistant treasurer Andrew Leigh clocked up more than $4300 before tax in daily allowances for travelling to APH from his home a few kilometres to the north between July 2013 and July 2015.
Liberal MP for the key Eden-Mondaro marginal seat Peter Hendy also avails of the payments for travelling from his home in Queanbeyan, a short drive from Parliament, and was paid just over $5500 before tax for showing up to Parliament House on sitting days between 2013 and mid-2015.
Mr Hendy's opponent in the sprawling seat, Labor's Mike Kelly, also claimed the daily expense allowance when he held Eden-Monaro prior to his defeat in the 2013 election and Senator Gallagher's predecessor Kate Lundy also claimed the allowance before she vacated her seat in early 2015.
Politicians' entitlement have been in the spotlight since revelations that many MPs and Senators are using their accommodation payments to pay off mortgages on Canberra houses and then claiming the properties as work-related tax deductions.
In response to the controversy, the Australian Taxation Office will review benefits claimed by MPs, including deductions for buying raffle tickets and attending electorate functions, along with the tax benefits of owning properties in Canberra.
But there is no review planned of the lucrative perks enjoyed by interstate politicians when they come to Canberra, with the level of allowances and entitlements determined by the independent Remuneration Tribunal.
Ms Brodtmann claimed the allowance during her first term in Parliament between 2010 and 2013 but stopped receiving payments in 2013.
The Canberra MP, who lives in Yarralumla, a suburb that adjoins Parliament House, did not provide much detail about her decision to forgo the daily allowance
"This allowance is available to every senator and MP, but it isn't compulsory," Ms Brodtmann told The Canberra Times.
"I've made a personal decision not to claim it.
"There isn't much more to it."
Senator Gallagher also declined to talk about her decision not to claim the allowance.
Senator Seselja said the level of allowances and entitlements were independently determined.
"The terms and conditions of parliamentarians' employment are set by an independent tribunal and that's as it should be," he said.
Dr Leigh said the allowance was available to all parliamentarians.
"This allowance is available to every parliamentarian to cover meal costs when parliament is sitting," he said.
Mr Hendy's office did not responded to requests for comment before deadline on Monday.
Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly reported that parliamentarians travelling from interstate to Canberra can claim the $86 daily expense allowance on top of other entitlements. The allowance is only available to those MPs and senators resident in the ACT and region.
