MP Says Expenses Scandal Taught Politicians the Importance of the ‘Pub Test’ and Rules

Communications Minister Anika Wells has come under fire after a tense interview in which she was challenged over her attempt to frame her travel expenses scandal as a failure of the “pub test”.

Wells appeared on The Daily Aus podcast with editor-in-chief Billi FitzSimons on Thursday, where she addressed the taxpayer-funded travel costs she was ordered to repay.

In May, the Labor frontbencher was directed to repay $10,116.11 to the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority after an audit found she had incorrectly claimed travel expenses.

The total comprised $8,093 in inappropriate travel expenses, along with a 25 per cent penalty worth $2,023.

The audit identified four breaches—one dating to 2022 and three to 2025—most of which involved family-related expenses. They included a claim for her husband’s return flight to the AFL Grand Final.

FitzSimons, the daughter of journalists Lisa Wilkinson and Peter FitzSimons, asked Wells what she had “changed since it all happened”.

“I think something I’ve learned out of this is that the rules and the pub test are different tests,” Wells said.

“Whilst you might do your best to discharge your duties within the rules, there’s a whole separate question around the pub test.”

FitzSimons immediately challenged that explanation, responding: “The rules were also broken. It wasn’t just the pub test.”

Wells replied: “Well, the rules—I was cleared of any misconduct.”

FitzSimons pushed back, saying: “When you say you were cleared of any misconduct, there was a breach of rules.”

Wells acknowledged that there had been “four mistakes” before offering context about one of the disputed claims.

“I stayed in Canberra and flew my family down a day earlier because I thought that would save the fare of me flying to Brisbane and back,” she said.

“Flying my family a day earlier meant that it sat outside the rules, so I had to repay that trip.”

“That’s what I mean, trying to get a better understanding of what those rules are and having more people in my office understand what those rules are.”

Dozens of viewers responding to the clip called for tougher consequences over the misuse of taxpayer funds.

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‘She should have been removed as minister,’ one wrote.

‘She should be fired,’ another said.

‘Only repaid it because she got caught,’ another wrote.

‘By four mistakes, she means four contraventions of the rules that she got caught out on,’ another said.

However, other commenters were more focused on a comment Wells made earlier in the segment.

‘I gave all of my 243 ministerial trips to the independent regulator and they found in there four honest mistakes,’ Wells said in the clip.

Commenters were shocked the four repaid trips alone cost more than $8,000.

‘Repaid four trips, cost $10,000. What have the other 242 trips cost us?’ one wrote, referencing the total Wells was ordered to repay.

‘Four ‘mistakes’ totalling $10,000? Okay,’ another said.

The Daily Mail has contacted Wells’ office for comment. 

– READ MORE: Sarah Henderson calls on PM to stand Anika Wells down over taxpayer-funded Adelaide birthday trip 

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