38 minutes agoWed 10 Dec 2025 at 12:20am

In short:

Anika Wells says she understands the "gut reaction" from scrutiny of her travel expenses, which have been referred for audit.

Ms Wells refuses Coalition demands to step aside while the claims are reviewed.

What’s next?

Ms Wells says she wants to remain focused on her role as communications minister as the government’s social media ban begins.

Communications Minister Anika Wells has accepted her taxpayer-funded travel claims have prompted a "gut reaction" in people, after a week of scrutiny over her expenses drew attention away from the government’s efforts to spruik its world-first social media ban.

Taxpayer-funded flights for Ms Wells’ husband to join her at Boxing Day cricket tests and AFL grand finals, bills to hold Comcars for several hours while she attended events, and a more than $100,000 trip to New York for a speech to world leaders on the government’s social media ban, have drawn intense scrutiny.

Yesterday, Ms Wells referred her claims for audit by the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority, but she has refused the Coalition’s demand to step aside until that is resolved.

Ms Wells said she was trying to stay focused on her work.

"Absolutely not, I am the steward of a world-leading social media ban that has incredible cultural and generational change unfurling as of today," she said.

"I am also the communications minister who needs to make sure that taxpayers have confidence in the triple zero system, particularly over the summer."

Wells ‘happy’ for expense review, but dodges direct questioning

In a hastily arranged press conference outside Kirribilli House this morning to discuss the ban on children and teenagers under 16, the minister instead received a barrage of questions over the details of her travel claims.

Asked whether a taxpayer-funded trip where she attended a Labor fundraising event met requirements for travel claims to be for the dominant purpose of parliamentary business, Ms Wells responded that she had referred her travel claims.

"I have three different portfolios and have countless requests to be in different towns and cities to do all different things. I could probably live every day three times over and not get to all the requests," Ms Wells said.

"I always give really thoughtful care in the decisions I make in regard to my program ... I really do do my best."

Asked whether it was appropriate for a Comcar to wait for eight hours while she attended an event, at a cost of more than $1,000, Ms Wells said she was "happy" for the independent authority to review that claim.

"We are looking at three and a half years of travel," Ms Wells said.

Ms Wells said she was confident she had upheld guidelines for charging taxpayers for travel, but that she was happy for that to be audited "so there is no doubt".

"I absolutely accept those figures prompt a gut reaction in people, I honestly accept that. I agree with everybody that parliamentarians’ expenses should be scrutinised," Ms Wells said.

"I have been found to have followed the guidelines so far, but for the absolute avoidance of doubt I am happy for them to have another look."

Ms Wells said the rules were set "at arm’s length" by the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority.

But the Coalition has said even if the minister has remained within technical guidelines, her travel claims have not met community expectations for how public money is used.

Speaking on Sky News, Shadow Finance Minister James Paterson said it was not enough for the expenses to be audited by the parliament’s expense authority, saying the matter should also be referred to the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet to determine whether Ms Wells have breached ministerial standards.

"There is a real sense from this government that they had a big election win and can basically get away with anything," Senator Paterson said.

"Including spending $100,000 flying to New York city to speak for six-and-a-half minutes, including having a meal out in Paris at taxpayers’ expense that cost $1,000 for food and $750 for alcohol, and including keeping Comcar drivers waiting up to ten hours while you’re at a sporting event in a corporate box sipping free champagne.

"I don’t think it’s sufficient that it has been referred to [the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority] only for independent investigation, I think there is a chance the ministerial code of conduct has also been breached."

As scrutiny has spread to other ministers and MPs in other parties, some have also questioned whether the rules should be revisited.

Earlier, while also attempting to market the government’s social media ban, Mr Albanese evaded whether he believed the rules for MP expense claims should be tightened.

"I think it’s really important that an independent authority be just that, that I don’t pre-empt what the independent authority thinks," Mr Albanese said.