‘I stand by it’: under-fire minister defends trip costs
A senior federal minister maintains his taxpayer-funded trips were in line with government guidelines as new details emerge about other costs.
Anika Wells has come under fire over the $100,000 cost of flying herself and three staff to New York to support Australia’s social media age ban, and more details have emerged about her trips to Paris, Thredbo and Adelaide.
He acknowledged the spend would cause a “gut reaction” in the average Australian, but said it was an independent agent booking flights rather than browsing “Webjet”.
Ms Wells was due to fly to New York on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s Royal Air Force jet in September but was postponed due to the effects of the deadly Optus triple zero outage.
“People can get a sense of whether it’s worth the money,” Ms Wells told Sky News on Sunday.
“But to me, the policy imperative of the life-changing work we were trying to do was really important, and I stand behind that.”
Mr Albanese argued the spending was within guidelines and said his trip to New York to promote the social media ban, which comes into force on Wednesday, was “very important”.
“This was a significant event that led directly to action by the European Union,” he told ABC’s Insiders on Sunday.
“One of the comments I heard from various UN officials was: ‘This is the first time I’ve attended a forum that has changed my mind.’
Ms Wells, who is also sports minister, reportedly traveled to Paris three times in 12 months to attend major sporting events including the Rugby World Cup, the Paris Olympics and the Paris Paralympics, at a cost of $116,000.
He was allowed to spend $6000 on meals over five days, and one dinner was reportedly billed at $600.
“I remember eating muesli bars in the car sometimes. These are big days,” Ms. Wells said.
“I appreciate it looking a certain way because this is Paris, but that was where the Games were held.”
Opposition sector spokesman Alex Hawke said the spending did not pass the pub test, adding that it was “so high it would make the royal family blush”.
“This doesn’t seem to add up and the minister’s defense doesn’t seem to add up either,” he told Sky News.
“If the Minister is eating muesli bars… then why are the taxpayer being charged for expensive dinners… if he’s not eating them.”
Ms Wells was also questioned about using her travel rights to attend a friend’s birthday on a three-day, $3600 business trip to Adelaide in June.
“I’ve talked to my South Australian counterpart in part about the South Australian Institute of Sport, where we’re opening a currency,” he said.
The minister also spent $3000 on flights and pocket money for his wife and children, who will join him in Thredbo in June 2024, while attending meetings with Paralympic Australia and Adaptive Festival organisers.
Ms Wells acknowledged her family had gone skiing but said she was there for work and the trip was covered by family reunion and travel rules.
In 2012, current Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke went on a business trip to Uluru and demanded $12,000 so his family could join him.
Although it was within the rules, he refunded $8656 for that trip when details emerged in 2015, admitting it was “beyond the community’s expectations.”
Ms Wells did not indicate that she would pay back the money, saying “I am working really hard” and that she would continue to follow the rules “as in every situation”.
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