Ministers claimed costs for wedding trip Taxpayer funded trip: Barnaby Joyce and George Brandis. Two of Prime Minister Tony Abbott's most high-profile ministers claimed thousands of dollars in taxpayer entitlements for attending the wedding of close friend and Sydney shock jock Michael Smith. It was a little less than two years ago and Smith had just left 2UE after a falling out over his attempt to raise allegations about then prime minister Julia Gillard's relationship with a former union official and the misappropriation of funds. The shock jock did not have a best man. But two close friends spoke: George Brandis, then one of the Abbott opposition's lead attack dogs and now Attorney-General, and deputy Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce. Mr Joyce read a poem called Fair Dinkum Love. Senator Brandis made a bridal speech before dominating the dance floor. According to travel expenses lodged with the Department of Finance, the duo collectively billed taxpayers nearly $3000 for flights, hire cars and incidental expenses incurred on the trip. Senator Brandis claimed $1700, including more than $1000 on return flights, $143 on a hire car and the overnight "official business" allowance designed to cover accommodation and incidentals. He told Fairfax Media on Saturday that he regarded the wedding as a chance to "foster collaboration" over Mr Smith's work covering the then prime minister and the Craig Thomson scandal and it was therefore "primarily a professional rather than a social engagement." "These were both matters of significant national interest on which I spoke frequently in Parliament and the media," he wrote in a statement. The federal Department of Finance's guidelines state MPs are allowed to claim travel and accommodation expenses for official business including "meetings of a government advisory committee or taskforce" or "functions representing a minister or presiding officer." Meeting with journalists is not a purpose sanctioned by the guidelines. Senator Brandis let his hair down at the wedding reception at John Singleton's boutique hotel, Bells at Killcare. "He was tearing up the dance floor," Mr Smith said about his wedding guest at the time. But Mr Smith told Fairfax there were nearly 10 people working in the media at his wedding and the senators used it as a chance to network. Mr Smith and his wife arranged for the two senators to be dropped back at the Mantra Ettalong Beach hotel by stretch limousine. Senator Brandis later claimed $349 in "official business" entitlements for overnight trips and designed to cover accommodation, meals and incidentals. Mr Joyce did not claim that entitlement. Mr Joyce claimed a flight to Moree the next day and about $500 worth of charges for the use of a Commonwealth car on the day of the wedding. He said he could not recall whether he had other meetings that day but defended the use of public resources to attend the wedding. "There were, no doubt, lots of people there involved in politics," he said. It was one of these things where you're noted more by your absence than by your participation. In the last Parliament, Senator Brandis made the case for prosecutions of Mr Thomson and Peter Slipper.