The company building the NBN spent nearly $340,000 on functions and receptions in eight months, but has told Parliament detailing food and wine costs and listing invitees would be too much work.
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Labor has accused NBN Co. of "spraying taxpayers money up the wall" and asked why the government-owned corporation believes it is above providing information about corporate hospitality to a Senate estimates committee.
Tasmanian Labor senator Catryna Bilyk used hearings to ask NBN Co. officials for the total amount spent on functions, events and official receptions between October 2016 and May this year, as well as details of the venues, guest lists, itemised food and drinks and the cost of any entertainment.
The questions are standard and asked of most government agencies as part of regular estimates hearings about government expenditure. A range of agencies provided full answers to the committee, including the ABC and SBS.
NBN Co. provided a combined total cost of $335,475 but said it did not have the requested level of detail, including the vintage of wines served at the events. It said collating the information for a company with close to 6000 employees would require a substantial diversion of resources to prepare.
Senator Bilyk, a former accounts clerk and union official, called on the Coalition to demand the full information.
"NBN Co. should be focussed on fixing the mess that Malcolm Turnbull has created with his second-rate copper NBN – not spraying $350,000 of taxpayers' money up the wall on corporate hospitality," she said.
"The rollout delays, slow speeds and cost blowouts under Mr Turnbull's failure of an NBN are nothing to celebrate.
"And to add insult to injury, NBN Co management refuse to tell us how they spent this money – why do they think they're above the rules?
"Malcolm Turnbull needs to pull them into line."
A spokeswoman said the company takes parliamentary processes very seriously and has answered more than 370 question on notice in the past year.
"In order to assist the Senate Standing Committee in these circumstances, NBN's normal practice is to provide costs at the greatest level of reasonable detail," she said.
NBN Co. told the committee it spent more than $10 million on redundancy payouts for about 90 employees in 2016, about $120,000 per employee despite the company being in existence for just seven years.
The company said redundancy costs were in line with internal policies, market practices and legislative requirements.
"NBN treats reorganisation decisions with sensitivity to ensure the business is best positioned to efficiently rollout fast broadband to all Australians by 2020," the spokeswoman told Fairfax Media.
The ABC told the committee it spent $24,916.27 on a March 15 farewell for former chairman James Spigelman at its Ultimo headquarters.
The event bill included $14,454 for staging and $4196 for drinks including French champagne and Australian wine.
Music for the event provided by the John Benz Quartet cost $2000.
Mr Spigelman received tributes from Mr Turnbull, described as a lifelong friend, as well as former prime minister Paul Keating, ABC managing director Michelle Guthrie and former boss Mark Scott.
A former NSW chief justice, Mr Spigelman was appointed ABC chair in 2012.
The broadcaster also spent more than $15,000 for the opening of its new Melbourne facilities in May, with music provided by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.
