Tim Mathieson during the Texas 400, event 05 of the 2013 Australian V8 Supercar Championship Series at the Circuit of the Americas, Austin, Texas, Saturday May 18, 2013. Picture: Mark Horsburgh / Edge
JULIA Gillard said her partner Tim Mathieson travelled to the US in an unofficial capacity despite being spotted at a Texan car race wearing accreditation tagged "Office of the Prime Minister".
The First Bloke was spotted enjoying VIP treatment at the V8 Supercar races held in Austin over the weekend, looking relaxed in an open checked shirt and belting out the Australian national anthem.
But the Prime Minister yesterday insisted there was "no public spending being spent there" as she fielded questions in Canberra.
Mr Mathieson, who has embraced a raft of charity organisations and is patron of the Mens' Shed program, travelled to the US as a "private citizen" and paid for his own travel and accommodation, the PM's office later confirmed.
The former hairdresser was filmed by the Seven Network in the VIP enclosure during the V8 race in Texas, wearing an official tag: "Tim Mathieson - Office of the Prime Minister".
But the PM's office said the pass was issued by the organisers of the event and was "not an official Government pass".
"It's a matter of fact that people and organisations associate Tim Mathieson with the office of the Prime Minister," Ms Gillard's spokesman said.
The PM's partner was due to fly back to Australia overnight with Ms Gillard's office claiming he received no assistance in helping organise his travel.
A spokesman for the V8 Supercar Races could not be contacted.
Mr Mathieson's fondness for attending sporting events is well known and the PM's register of interests has records of her partner attending AFL and cricket matches.
The First Bloke has also used his status to help raise tens of thousands of dollars for charity. Last month, he led a charity motorcycle ride from Sydney to the Lodge - but the charity event almost came to tragedy when his bike left the ground and crashed into a kerb in outer Canberra.
Read more: http://www.news.com.au/national-news/tim-mathieson-was-private-citizen-when-visiting-v8-supercar-event-in-texas/story-fncynjr2-1226647167279#ixzz2URW2DD00