Minister under fire over family reunion flights and travel costs
Updated ,first published
His first mistake was not being able to explain why these flights cost so much money.
But what upsets him the most is his sports portfolio and the rules governing family reunion flights.
From a flight to Adelaide to attend meetings with SA health minister Chris Picton coinciding with a friend’s birthday party (Connie Blefari, Picton’s wife), to Wells’ family gatherings at Thredbo, Boxing Day testing, a Formula 1 race and potentially more – these are the updates that keep Wells in the headlines whenever he wants to talk about the world-leading social media ban that comes into force from Wednesday.
All of these trips are within the travel rights rules.
Yes, he is a very powerful minister with a young family and no one wants him to be an old-style politician who never sees his children. This is why family reunification rights exist.
But at a time when Australians are struggling with huge power bills, huge mortgages and rent demands, it is unconvincing that the minister thinks it would be okay to organize so many family reunion flights with her husband, often for just one day, at some of the country’s most iconic sporting events.
The latest Resolve Political Monitor reveals just how sensitive Australians are to the high cost of almost everything right now: 42 per cent of respondents to the latest survey nominated “keeping the cost of living low” as their number one policy priority; this was a full 32 percent above the next highest priority, health and aged care.
This is not a new phenomenon: In February, this figure was 52 percent.
To make matters worse, most of Wells’ family get-togethers take place in corporate hospitality suites that most Australians would never enter.
This week was supposed to be a victory for Wells. Instead it is an essay.
The minister took part in a tough interview with Sky News’ Andrew Clennell on Sunday. But the strategy did not work as the minister was unable to answer probing questions while his team is currently dealing with follow-up statements.
My colleague as Rob Harris noted last week“This is a scandal about Velcro. It’s here to stay. It’s the kind of transgression that gets buried in the public narrative of government excess, no matter how well-intentioned the original intent of the trip.”
Australians would have seen the minister touting new social media laws everywhere this week if questions sent to Senate estimates had not revealed the eye-popping cost of his trip to New York, billed at nearly three times the normal cost of a business class round-trip air ticket. Instead, he will not be able to hold any media event without facing tough questions.
His use of powers may be legal, as he constantly reminds Australians, but Wells is fast approaching the point of no return.
Just ask Opposition Leader Susan Ley.
He resigned as health minister in 2017, even though his exercise of travel rights appeared to be within the rules. Adding an additional trip to buy a flat on the Gold Coast wasn’t enough.
A record-low 26 per cent primary vote for the Coalition in today’s Resolve Political Monitor is a lagging indication of how Australians feel about last month’s chaos. But now the Liberals have Wells in their sights, they can gain ground.
Wells is now in a similar situation. Maybe he can continue on his way brazenly. But it is notable for its use of powers that are sure to feature regularly in the opposition’s press conferences throughout the summer and a raft of questions that will surely be clarified when parliament returns next year.
Read more about Wells’ spending
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James Massola is the chief political commentator. He was previously national affairs editor and Southeast Asia correspondent. He won the Quill and Kennedy awards and was a Walkley finalist. Connect securely to Signal @jamesmassola.01Connect with: excitement or email.
