Ley urges talks with PM over travel entitlement changes

Opposition Leader Sussan Ley has offered bipartisan support for reforming travel privileges for politicians, while calling for Anika Wells to resign from the ministry.
Ms Ley wrote to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese requesting a meeting about changes to parliamentary travel rights and ministerial codes of conduct.
It follows controversy surrounding sport and communications minister Ms Wells as she claimed she had traveled to major sporting events for herself and her husband.
A growing list of MPs and senators have also come into the spotlight as they benefit from travel privileges.
Ms Ley said she was ready to meet the prime minister to discuss changes that would be more in line with community standards.
“We are ready in a bipartisan sense, I have been working throughout the summer. I can sit down with the Prime Minister at any time and consider the measures he would recommend to be implemented to restore public confidence in the system,” he told Sky News on Friday.
“What I want to see is a restoration of public confidence and public confidence in the system that has been completely derailed under Prime Minister Albanese.”
Ms Ley also called for Ms Wells to resign from the ministry over her exercise of parliamentary powers.
Ms Wells appealed to the Independent Parliamentary Expenditure Authority on Tuesday and said her travel was within the rules.

Politicians are allowed to claim travel expenses if their official duties are the “primary purpose” of the trip, and they also have the right to fly their families to Canberra and other locations around Australia for family reunions.
But the opposition leader said Ms Wells’ behavior and exercise of her travel rights was “scandalous”.
“The whole country is stunned by all the information they have received about his actions. He has not shown even an ounce of remorse. He has not stepped forward and has not apologized,” he said.
“If (the prime minister) cannot stand there and tell the Australian people that this minister did not breach the code of conduct, then he should resign.”

The parliamentary spending watchdog was set up following controversy over Ms Ley using taxpayer funds to travel to the Gold Coast to buy a property while she was health minister.
This led to Ms Ley resigning as a minister and MPs and senators being required to report their spending monthly.
“I made a mistake, I raised my hand, I apologized to the Australian people, I held myself accountable to the department’s code of conduct. Anika Wells did none of those three things,” the opposition leader said.
The prime minister on Thursday brushed off questions about whether travel benefits were too generous, but did not close the door on possible reforms to the system.

Health Minister Mark Butler said he was open to changes to travel regulations that politicians were entitled to.
He told Seven’s Sunrise programme: “These rules are important; these businesses put huge pressure on our families, particularly our partners who do the family business while we are away for 150 or 200 days a year.”
“But they need to be reasonable and used sensibly.
“I would welcome advice and recommendations from this independent parliamentary authority as we consider Anika Wells’ allegations.”

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