During the Covid epidemic, a public art gallery director came under fire for spending thousands on luxury meals, booze, and other expenses that he invoiced to taxpayers.
Michael Brand, the director of the Art Gallery of NSW, charged over $1,000 in dinners, as well as hundreds of dollars in wine purchases and other expenses, to his government credit card.
Radio host Ben Fordham called Dr Brand a ‘fat cat’ who was ‘having a laugh at our expense’ on 2GB on Tuesday morning.
‘I believe people in NSW will be saying, ‘This bloke’s kidding himself,’ Fordham said, noting that Dr Brand’s annual remuneration of $450,000 is higher than NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet’s.
The list of eateries Dr. Brand visited at taxpayer expense was described by Fordham as “like something out of the Good Food Guide.”
Dr. Brand paid $1,180 to eat at Otto, $1,043 at the now-defunct Lucio’s, $1,033 at Firedoor, and $779 at Franca Brasserie, according to receipts obtained through a Daily Telegraph freedom of information request.
His taxpayer-funded generosity did not stop there, as he spent $708 at Canberra’s Raku Dining in August 2021, followed by $532 at Inner Sydney restaurant Foreign Return a few days later.
Dr. Brand also didn’t think twice about using his government Citibank credit card to buy alcohol.
Sydney’s Elizabeth Bay Cellars was a favorite bottle-o, with tax-funded purchases totaling $718 in August 2020, $212 the following month, and $550 in December 2021.
In the same month, he spent $254 with Vintage Liquors, a company based in the United States.
A $420 cab ride, $447.50 at Sit Back and Relax furnishings business, and $59 at Kathmandu outdoor clothes store were among the taxpayer’s other expenses this year.
Fordham pointed out that much of the expenditure occurred during a period of considerable economic hardship.
‘This was during (Covid) lockdowns when a million people lost their jobs and hundreds of businesses went under,’ he said.
‘It was a time of financial crisis but not for art gallery boss Michael Brand.’
During the Covid period visitors to the gallery plunged by almost two thirds, from 1,587,386 to 666,572.
An Art Gallery of NSW spokeswoman defended Dr Brand’s expenses as hospitality to raise money from partners and donors.
‘This engagement has made possible the Art Gallery raising $109million dollars through its philanthropic capital campaign for its major expansion, the Sydney Modern Project, opening in December,’ the spokeswoman said.
‘Credit card expenses incurred by the director are authorised by delegated officers and the president of the Board of Trustees. These expenses are within approved limits and directly align with the role and responsibilities.’
This defense, Fordham added, would not pass the ‘pub test’ at a time when the NSW government is under pressure to find more money for nurses, paramedics, and teachers.
‘When you work for the taxpayer, you have to make sure your expenditure matches community expectations,’ Fordham added.
He did not claim that Dr. Brand had broken the gallery’s rules, but rather that the rules ought to be changed.