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December 11, 2025
SENATOR JAMES PATERSON: Well, the Anika Wells travel saga might have started with the Minister for Communications, but it's rapidly become a scandal about the Prime Minister and his judgment and the standards that he is willing to enforce on his ministers. Anyone who saw the Prime Minister's press conference today would see a Prime Minister that is failing to take responsibility. He's failing to take responsibility for the conduct of his ministers, he's failing to enforce his own ministerial code of conduct, and he's failing the test of leadership. If the Prime Minister wanted to haul this minister into line, he could have done so. If the Prime Minister wanted to change the rules, he can do so. But at his press conference today, he was full of excuses about how he wasn't the Finance Minister, just as he has been full of excuses all week that he didn't personally book the Minister's flight with the flight agency, and therefore he couldn't be responsible, even though he is responsible for approving all international ministerial travel. This is a Prime Minister who's running away from responsibility.
I think it is crystal clear. An independent investigation from IPEA is welcome, but it's not sufficient. Minister Wells must also be investigated under the Ministerial Code of Conduct. And I want to read some of that code of conduct to you to make it clear about why this must be investigated by the Secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet. 'The Code of Conduct requires ministers to 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 use, and due economy must be observed at all times. They must be scrupulous in ensuring the legitimacy and accuracy of any claim for ministerial, parliamentary or travel expenses, and they must comply with requirements around declaring gifts.'
Minister Wells is in danger of breaching every single one of these features of the code, and the only thing that can be done to ensure that the code is enforced is that she be referred to the Secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet for investigation, and she should stand aside while that happens. If she is not referred, if the Prime Minister does not take action, then he is personally responsible for every single dollar that she has spent at taxpayers' expense that is so outraging Australians. Happy to take any questions.
JOURNALIST: Senator Paterson, would you support a review of the rules themselves? Do you think that the family reunion entitlements in particular need to be revisited?
SENATOR JAMES PATERSON: Look, we're of course happy to look at the rules and make sure that they continue to be in line with community expectations. But honestly, I think this is a bit of a diversion. Some of the biggest problems that Anika Wells has caused for herself with her spending have nothing to do with her family reunion expenses. She didn't take her family with her to New York City when she spent $100,000 on return flights. She didn't take her family with her to Paris when she spent almost $2,000 on food and alcohol at a Michelin-starred restaurant. And it is not her family's fault that she routinely thinks it's appropriate to keep Comcar drivers waiting for six, seven, even ten hours while she's in a corporate box sipping free champagne at a sporting event. They are her decisions, they are her responsibility, and they've got nothing to do with family reunion.
JOURNALIST: More broadly, there have been some stories about Don Farrell, among others, this week, National's MP Andrew Wilcox spending more than $100,000 over the last term on his family reunion travel, Fatima Payman. It's across the Parliament. Is this something in particular where there is a case for review?
SENATOR JAMES PATERSON: Well, as I've said, we are happy to look at the rules again and make sure they're in line with community expectations. But really, if you can't trust a minister like Anika Wells or Don Farrell to make good decisions about how they spend taxpayers' money within the rules, then how on earth can you trust them to be ministers to make decisions in the national interest in their portfolios? If Anika Wells doesn't know that it's not appropriate to take your family on a taxpayer-funded ski holiday to Thredbo, how can we rely on her judgment as a minister to make decisions in the communications portfolio? I think what we're learning about Anika Wells is that she doesn't have the judgment to be a minister, let alone administer her own expenses, whatever the rules are.
JOURNALIST: Just quickly on another matter, The U.S. has announced that it will screen Australian tourists for their social media history. Is that an appropriate way to treat an ally?
SENATOR JAMES PATERSON: U.S. visa and immigration policy is a matter for the U.S. government, and I would never seek to dictate to them the terms on which they decide how people enter their country, just as I would never accept any country, including our friends in the United States, dictating to us how we set our rules for our visas and immigration. This is a sovereign matter. Every country is entitled to set the standards by which they admit guests to their country. Thank you very much.
ENDS