‘I follow the rules’: Communications Minister Anika Wells adamant as taxpayer travel controversy grows
Sports Minister Anika Wells has remained firm as pressure mounts over her travel expenses, saying she takes taxpayer dollars “very seriously”.
Sports Minister Anika Wells has remained firm as pressure mounts over her taxpayer-funded travel expenses, stating “I follow the rules”.
Last week, it was revealed Ms Wells – who is also the communications minister – along with two officials, spent almost $100,000 on flights attending an event to spruik Australia’s social media ban at the United Nations General Assembly in September.
Within days, new reports uncovered she spent $3600 on a work-related trip to Adelaide in June, during which she attended a Labor friend’s birthday, and $1300 on her family joining her at Thredbo for Paralympics Australia’s Adaptive Festival.
Ms Wells took taxpayer money “very seriously”, she told reporters in Sydney on Wednesday.
“I absolutely accept that those figures prompt a gut reaction in people,” she said.
“I honestly accept that, and I agree with everybody that parliamentarians’ entitlements should be scrutinised.
“I’ve said that from the get go, I’ve always said that it’s something I deeply believe in, and that’s why I’ve always put all of my travel through the independent regulator.”
Ms Wells has self-referred her spending for independent review, following intense scrutiny over thousands of dollars claimed in work-related flights and travel.
“Obviously we’re looking at three and a half years of travel, but like I said, I’m happy for everyone to have another look at it. I don’t have anything to hide. I follow the rules,” she said.
Last week, work-related trips Ms Wells took to Paris from September 2023-24 were further revealed to have cost taxpayers more than $115k, with one of the trips including a dinner with Ms Wells, a staffer and a French official, costing about $1000.
A separate report revealed she also claimed more than $8500 in family travel expenses to Melbourne during AFL grand final weekends from 2022-24.
Ms Wells has consistently defended her use of entitlements, saying the spending is within the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority guidelines.
“I remain confident all my travel and expenses is within the framework, but for the avoidance of doubt I have self-referred my expenditure to the (IPEA) for an audit,” she said in a Tuesday statement.
The move to self-refer was Ms Wells’ way of checking her spending was within the guidelines, Anthony Albanese said on Wednesday.
The Prime Minister refrained from directly answering whether the IPEA guidelines should change, but acknowledged the evolving demographic of parliament.
“Well, the parliament has changed, and that’s a good thing,” he told the ABC.
“One of the issues of Minister Wells, for example, has three young children. She gave birth to twins while in office.
“I think it’s a good thing that parliament is more representative than it used to be.
“People have a long time away from their families, from their children and from their partners.”
Pressed on whether the rules should be changed, Mr Albanese said: ‘Well, the rules are in place independently. I’ll tell you what’s not a good thing: is for politicians to rule and manage themselves.”
“It’s important that there be arm’s length, that is what has been put in place,” he said.
On Sunday, when asked about the nature of her meals in Paris, Ms Wells told Sky News: “Honestly, every single meal that I recall, unless it was breakfast at the hotel before we went out for the day, was a working meal.”
“We were meeting with stakeholders. We were meeting people about work. We’re there to work,” she said.
“I appreciate it looks a certain way, because it’s Paris, but that is where the Olympic and Paralympic Games were.
“I, as the vice president of Brisbane 2032, have a lot of duties to discharge and a lot of opportunities to make sure that Australia makes the most of.
“This is a work trip. I was doing work. I’m happy to answer your questions.
“I appreciate that people want our entitlements scrutinised, that’s why I’m here with you today.”
Ms Wells, in regard to her other trips, maintained they were for the purpose of work, and that she “followed the guidelines”.
The Prime Minister later told ABC Insiders the work trips taken by Ms Wells were “within the rules”.
Aside from Ms Wells, parliamentarians from across the political spectrum – including opposition communications spokeswoman Melissa McIntosh, Greens senators Sarah Hanson-Young and David Shoebridge, Attorney-General Michelle Rowland and Trade Minister Don Farrell – have also been forced to defend their spending in recent days, raising questions as to whether the IPEA guidelines should be reviewed.
Originally published as ‘I follow the rules’: Communications Minister Anika Wells adamant as taxpayer travel controversy grows
