Anika Wells refers herself to independent watchdog over expenses affair

In a move that will enable her to avoid detailed media questioning about her use of entitlements, embattled minister Anika Wells has referred herself to the authority that oversees parliamentarians’ expenses.

Wells, the Minister for Communications, who is also the Minister for Sport, said in a statement late Tuesday, “I remain confident all my travel and expenses is within the framework but for the avoidance of doubt I have self-referred my expenditure to IPEA (Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority) for an audit”.

Wells needs to be out in the media on Wednesday, when the ban on under-16s having social media accounts begins. With the audit she, as well as the prime minister and other ministers, can shut down questions on her spending, on the grounds an inquiry is being held.

Wells has been under political fire for a week, in a controversy that started with the fact the government spent about $95,000 to fly her and two officials to New York to spruik the social media ban.

A flood of revelations has followed, about Wells’ bills for travel under the family reunion provision, Commonwealth cars that were kept waiting for many hours while she was at sporting events, and other spending.

Late Monday Wells updated her parliamentary register of interests to include a batch of free tickets. In many cases, the declarations were overdue.

The Wells controversy has had a flow-on effect, with scrutiny of other ministers’ spending causing further embarrassment.

The opposition on Tuesday called for a second inquiry and said Wells should stand aside while the matters were investigated.

Finance spokesman James Paterson and shadow special minister of state James McGrath said in a statement the self-referral was a belated admission Wells had breached community expectations. But more than the IPEA inquiry was needed.

“The prime minister must immediately refer this to the secretary of the department of prime minister and cabinet for investigation, seeking advice on whether a breach, or indeed multiple breaches, of his Ministerial Code of Conduct have taken place.

"That code of conduct mandates that ministers must:

• observe standards of behaviour ‘worthy of the Australian people’

• act in a manner ‘consistent with the highest ethical standards’

• not put public resources ‘to wasteful or extravagant us’, with ‘due economy’ to be observed ‘at all times’

• be ‘scrupulous in ensuring the legitimacy and accuracy of any claim for ministerial, parliamentary or travel expenses’

• comply with requirements around declaring gifts.”

Paterson and McGrath said the revelations suggested Wells had not complied with the code.

They said Wells should stand aside while the IPEA investigation, and one by the secretary of Albanese’s department, were conducted.