‘I work really hard’: minister defends family travel
Tess Ikonomou |
Sports minister Anika Wells is backing herself as a hard worker as pressure mounts over her use of taxpayer money for family travel.
And Anthony Albanese is behind her, saying she “absolutely” has his full support to continue in cabinet.
Ms Wells referred herself to the parliamentary expenses authority after it was revealed she repeatedly billed the public purse for chauffeured cars and family reunions.
“I am incredibly serious about my work. I work really hard, and I try really hard every single day to discharge my duties,” she told ABC Brisbane on Wednesday.
“I absolutely understand, appreciate and agree that parliamentarians entitlements should be scrutinised.
“That’s why, for absolute transparency, I’ve always disclosed everything. I have always followed the rules, and I’m happy for the independent regulator to have another audit of my travels.”
Various travel allowances are available to ministers and MPs, including a family reunion allowance into which Ms Wells and others have dipped.
Asked if her husband should be able to enjoy big sporting games, Ms Wells said the family travel guidelines weren’t new.
“No one expects any forgiveness for the political class. I understand that,” she said.
“Yes, I always think about how this is going to look to people when we make decisions about when we use the family travel entitlement.”
Ms Wells charged taxpayers almost $1000 for a chauffeur for seven hours the day she attended the Australian Open in 2023 and more than $1200 for nine hours the day of the NRL and NRLW grand finals in 2022, according to the parliamentary expenses register.
The cabinet minister had her electorate office fitted with a secure communications facility in October 2024 when she was sports and aged care minister, despite a similar room being about a 20 minute drive away.
The prime minister dismissed the suggestion that Ms Wells should be criticised or sanctioned for claiming the allowances.
“A sports minister attending sports events should not be surprising,” Mr Albanese told ABC Radio.
He also fired back at the opposition – who claim Ms Wells has rorted the system – by reminding them how the allowances framework was set up.
“We have an arm’s length approach to this that was put in place by the former government after Sussan Ley had to resign after going to the Gold Coast and property purchases,” he told Nine’s Today show.
“Anika Wells has done the right thing, but she’s been out there doing her job in promoting this important legislation.”
The current opposition leader resigned from her position as a minister in the Turnbull government after it was revealed in 2017 she had used taxpayer funds to buy a property on the Gold Coast.
That led to MPs and senators being required to report their expenses to an independent watchdog monthly.
Ms Wells first came under fire over flights for herself and two others that cost almost $100,000.
The embattled minister flew to New York during the United Nations General Assembly, where she spruiked Australia’s social media ban for children under 16.
Other politicians have also faced scrutiny over their expenses, including Trade Minister Don Farrell for claiming more than $100,000 on family reunion travel since 2022.
Opposition communications spokeswoman Melissa McIntosh has defended her decision to fly herself and her son to Queensland, where he was taking part in Australian National Judo Championships on the Gold Coast.
She said she supported the rules being restricted or dropped to scale back entitlements.
“If you don’t make some sort of change this is going to continue to happen, people are going to stretch the rules,” the coalition frontbencher told the ABC.
“The prime minister should show some leadership on this. He should stand up and and make change.”
AAP
