Sydney - An Australian father who challenged politicians to dip into their own pockets and pay for a holiday for his three young children was reported to have reached his target on Tuesday, without a cent from the politicians.
Stephen Callaghan, who describes himself as a working-class dad from rural Australia, launched a crowd-funding campaign when he was fed up with a string of revelations of politicians charging the taxpayer for their own family vacations.
Federal Treasurer Joe Hockey was recently forced to defend charging the public purse 14 000 Australian dollars (10 250 US dollars) for his family to join him on a trip from Sydney to Perth.
Hockey was just one of many politicians who were revealed to have taken their children on taxpayer-funded trips.
Callaghan told the broadcaster ABC on Tuesday that he had reached his holiday target of 5 000 Australian dollars, but he felt guilty because the donations came from private citizens rather than politicians.
“I’m surprised and overwhelmed and feeling a little bit guilty because I wanted the pollies to kick in, but instead a lot of ordinary people have,” Callaghan said.
One person donated 2 000 Australian dollars, and Callaghan rang him to say it was too much.
“But he said he was single and well-off and thought we deserved it, and hoped we had a good holiday. He refused to take it back.”
Callaghan sold his car for the holiday and is giving half the donations to a children’s charity.
The rest will go towards a trip with his three children to Uluru in Central Australia.
DPA