PM won’t sack minister as travel expenses saga grows
Tess Ikonomou |
Anika Wells won’t be punted from Anthony Albanese’s cabinet, as fresh questions are raised in a widening saga over the embattled minister’s travel expenses.
The communications and sports minister referred herself to the parliamentary expenses authority after it was revealed she repeatedly billed the public purse for chauffeured cars and family travel.
But revelations emerged she charged taxpayers almost $2000 to fly to Sydney, during which she attended a Labor Party fundraiser.
An analysis of data showed Ms Wells flew from Brisbane to Sydney and back on August 7.
A government spokesperson said the travel was within guidelines and “the minister was on official duties”.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was questioned over whether Ms Wells enjoyed his full support as a minister.
“Absolutely she does,” he told ABC Radio on Wednesday.
Ms Wells was forced to answer questions about her use of taxpayer money on the same day Labor was triumphantly spruiking the social media ban for children under the age of 16 coming into effect.
“I absolutely understand, appreciate and agree that parliamentarians’ entitlements should be scrutinised,” she told ABC radio.
“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 which Ms Wells and others have dipped in to.
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 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.
Mr Albanese fired back at the opposition – which claims 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.
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.
She flew to New York during the United Nations General Assembly, where she promoted the ban.
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 the 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
