For 3 years in a row, Labor’s Jagadish Krishnan has spent practically his total annual backbench wage on issues like “speaking with the citizens”, the Riverton MP’s expense studies have revealed.
The studies add one other layer of intrigue to Krishnan’s private funds, which additionally embody revelations a $1 million mortgage was taken out in opposition to his Mosman Park household dwelling for his spouse’s enterprise.
Krishnan’s funds had been thrust into the highlight final week after this masthead revealed he was going through a lawsuit from a rich New York businessman Kannan Amalraj over an alleged unpaid $AU1 million mortgage.
And in accordance with citizens expense studies from 2022 to 2025, Krishnan outspent each different MP in each homes yearly by at the least $120,000.
Earlier than getting into politics, Krishnan was a health care provider who co-founded a big community of GP clinics below the corporate Spectrum Well being Group. He continued to derive earnings from this enterprise whereas in Parliament, which had been declared below his household firm, Srishanna Pty Ltd.
MPs are given an allowance every year to spend on their workplace or engagement with their electorates, however any spend over the allowance comes out of the MP’s personal pocket.
In 2022-23 the allowance was $78,000. Krishnan claimed the total quantity and spent an extra $157,000, taking his whole spend to $235,000, together with $143,000 on neighborhood engagement and $72,000 on communications.
The subsequent highest-spending MP that 12 months was former Labor Churchlands MP Christine Tonkin, who spent $110,000 – about $22,000 above her claimable allowance.
WA Premier Roger Cook dinner solely spent $300 greater than his allowance that 12 months.
A backbencher’s wage in 2022-23 was $161,000, that means Krishnan spent greater than 97 per cent of his base wage on citizens bills.
In 2023-24, the electoral allowance was bumped as much as $88,000, however Krishnan spent $149,000 above that. This time he spent $144,000 on “neighborhood engagement and constituent help” and $71,400 on communications.
That 12 months, the bottom wage of an MP was $166,000, that means Krishnan spent 89 per cent of his wage on citizens gadgets. Krishnan was additionally being paid an extra $20,000 for his position as a parliamentary secretary.
Greens chief Brad Pettitt was the subsequent highest-spending MP, spending $27,000 above his claimable allowance.
In 2024-25, the MP base wage was $173,000 and bills remained at $88,000.
Krishnan spent $231,689 that 12 months – $143,000 greater than claimable, or 82 per cent of his base wage.
That 12 months, the typical annual full-time wage in Australia was about $100,000.
Krishnan mentioned all funding from his member’s allowance had been dedicated to neighborhood organisations inside his citizens corresponding to colleges and sporting golf equipment.
He didn’t reply to questions on why his spending was a lot greater than his colleagues, however confirmed he was spending his personal cash.
“Extra funding, which I’ve declared, has come from my private accounts,” he mentioned.
“I’ve been dedicated to the folks of Riverton and can proceed to ship for my neighborhood.”
Krishnan has pulled his spending again this 12 months, along with his workplace confirming that of the $90,000 member’s allowance offered in 2025-26, solely $58,512 had been spent.
Along with the lawsuit over the $1 million mortgage settlement struck in 2024, Landgate information present that very same 12 months Krishnan and his spouse Yaamini Jagadish used their Mosman Park dwelling to safe one other $1 million mortgage.
WA-based small enterprise mortgage firm Company Funding drew up the high-interest mortgage, with weekly repayments set at $5769 if your complete debt was drawn down.
The mortgage was for a corporation which Krishnan’s spouse is the only real shareholder of, Medical Transcriptions Pty Ltd.
The most recent Landgate information present the mortgage has been refinanced with a brand new facility of $332,000.
Curiosity is about at 3.5 per cent month-to-month, with weekly funds set at $1911. Krishnan and his spouse are listed as guarantors.
WAtoday understands the mortgage was a short-term safety for a enterprise mortgage.
Srishanna was a serious shareholder of Spectrum Well being Group earlier than it was bought in a multimillion-dollar deal final week.
Final week Krishnan refused to element how a lot cash he comprised of the sale, citing industrial confidence.
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Hamish Hastie is WAtoday’s state political reporter and the winner of 5 WA Media Awards, together with the 2023 Beck Prize for finest political journalism.Join by way of X or e-mail.