Anika Wells refers herself to independent watchdog over expenses affair

By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra

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,…

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