Anika Wells failed to meet declaration timeline on free tickets to sporting and music events
Embattled Sports Minister Anika Wells has breached parliamentary rules by failing to declare free tickets she and her husband were given to sport and music events.
Embattled Sports Minister Anika Wells failed to declare a string of free tickets to A-list events, including an Oasis gig, the Logies and the AFL grand final, in breach of parliamentary rules.
On Monday afternoon Ms Wells’ parliamentary register of member’s interests – the public record of gifts and free hospitality – was updated to include tickets for herself and her husband Finn McCarthy to the AFL, NRL and NRLW grand finals.
She also added, among other things, tickets to a Diamonds’ game against New Zealand, entry to the Logies and an Oasis concert in Sydney.
The update came hours after the Herald Sun inquired as to why Ms Wells had not declared the tickets to Oasis on Saturday, November 8, when and her husband were the guests of Venues NSW at its corporate box at Accor Stadium in Sydney show alongside Australian Olympic Committee CEO Mark Arbib Australian cricketer Nathan Lyon.
The costs of corporate boxes at Oasis’s Sydney Accor Stadium concerts is not publicly available but depending on the package, entry to boxes at Melbourne’s Oasis shows costs between $500 and $1000 a head.
MPs are required to update the public register within 28 days of receiving gifts and hospitality.
But more than a month after the concert her register of member’s interests had not been updated to reflect the gift.
In contrast Anthony Albanese, who a day earlier also watched Oasis as a guest of Venues NSW, declared his ticket four days later on November 11.
Ms Wells’ update of the register, published on Monday afternoon, includes two tickets to this year’s AFL grand final, NRL prelim final, the NRLW grand final, and the NRL grand final.
She also declared she had been given two tickets to the Logies in August.
All up there nine declarations that should have been declared as far back as August.
Coalition Senator James McGrath said the failure was inexcusable.
“The Prime Minister said he would lead the most transparent government yet we have a cabinet minister updating her declarations months late and only after the media start asking about it,” he said.
“The standard you walk past is the standard you accept.
“If Anthony Albanese could declare his free ticket to Oasis within three days, why couldn’t she?”
Ms Wells’ office has been contacted for comment.
The apparent failure to declare hospitality comes after it was revealed on Monday that taxpayers paid almost $9000 for Ms Wells and Mr McCarthy to attend the 2022, 2023 and 2024 grand finals – on one occasion with their children.
That followed the revelation at the weekend that Ms Wells had spent $3000 of taxpayer money for a family weekend at the Thredbo and that she took three trips to Paris in the space of 12 months at a cost of more than $120,000 – including a $1000 dinner for four people.
Ms Wells has been under pressure since it was revealed she spent $94,000 flying herself and two staff to New York earlier this year.
More Coverage
Originally published as Anika Wells failed to meet declaration timeline on free tickets to sporting and music events
