Victoria's Deputy Speaker has joined his boss in being outed for claiming a generous parliamentary entitlement while living on the coast south of Melbourne rather than in his electorate.
A day after Speaker Telmo Languiller said he would pay back almost $40,000 for claiming the second residence allowance while residing in Queenscliff for most of 2016, it has been revealed his deputy is doing the same.
Deputy Speaker and Melton MP Don Nardella has claimed the second residence allowance for living in Ocean Grove on the Bellarine Peninsula since April 2014, both Fairfax and News Corp report.
The beachside town is 98km from Melbourne, while Melton is only 50km from the CBD.
News Corp reports Mr Nardella has received about $100,000 in allowances, saying he has no plans to give the money back "because that's where I live".
On Thursday, Mr Languiller agreed to pay back more than $37,000 for claiming the allowance after "complex" family matters led him to renting in the beach town Queenscliff.
The town, also on the Bellarine, is 103km from Melbourne but his Tarneit electorate is less than 30km from the CBD.
The perk can be claimed by MPs who live more than 80km from the CBD if they maintain a second residence in Melbourne.
Mr Languiller now lives permanently in Footscray, also not in his electorate.
Premier Daniel Andrews said he supported Mr Languiller but acknowledged his payments didn't pass the pub test.
"Clearly he doesn't believe it passes that test or any other test, frankly," Mr Andrews told reporters on Friday.
The premier released a statement on Thursday night welcoming an audit committee review of Mr Languiller's claim, urging it to provide parliament with recommendations on how the entitlement should be used.
After news of Mr Nardella's claims broke on Friday evening, a spokeswoman for Mr Andrews reissued the statement and said: "Don has spoken for himself on that matter. On the premier's position I'd refer you to the statement. Nothing further to add tonight."
Mr Languiller on Thursday said he thought the rules around what MPs can claim needed work, a call also made by the Greens and Opposition.
Liberal leader Matthew Guy also called for Mr Languiller's matter to go to the privileges committee, demanding the Speaker hand over travel logs and details of who signed off on the allowance.
Mr Nardella is the third Victorian MP to be caught in an entitlements scandal. In November, Steve Herbert resigned as Corrections Minister after using his taxpayer-funded driver to chauffuer his two dogs.
Federally, Liberal MP Bronwyn Bishop resigned as Speaker when she spent $5000 on a helicopter flight to a party fundraiser and Sussan Ley quit as health minister amid investigations into her travel expenses.
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