Taxpayers on hook for minister’s seven-hour car wait
Government leading player Anika Wells is under increasing pressure to disclose her travel bills after it was revealed she charged taxpayers nearly $1,000 for a driver to wait while she attended the Australian Open.
The Minister of Communications and Sports struggled for days after it was revealed that he had demanded thousands of dollars to fly himself and his family to major events.
The opposition claims the spending, although technically within the rules, does not pass the press test and could breach a ministerial code of conduct for the prominent Labor figure who spearheaded the impending social media ban on under-16s.
Ms Wells’ interest records show Tennis Australia gifted her and her partner tickets to the 2023 Australian Open finals.
On January 28 of the same year, during the women’s final, she claimed a COMCAR bill of $958.98.
COMCAR is a taxpayer-funded chauffeur service used by politicians, the governor general and senior judges.
Transportation is billed at $2.22 per minute, meaning Ms. Wells’s car was booked for more than seven hours.
It is usual for the minister to attend major sporting events, but Liberal deputy leader Ted O’Brien said the expenses appeared to be an error of judgement.
“I think there are more questions to be answered,” he told ABC radio.
“It is always the parliamentarian’s responsibility to justify their spending,” Mr O’Brien said.
Other MPs, including business secretary and Labor powerhouse Don Farrell, have also been dragged into the spending saga as they claim over $100,000 for “family reunion” travel from 2022.
Opposition communications spokeswoman Melissa McIntosh was also accused of billing taxpayers for her son’s flight to Queensland, where he was to attend the Australian National Judo Championships on the Gold Coast.
Under current rules, a politician can only claim travel expenses if the “predominant purpose” of the trip is their official duties.
Lawmakers and senators can also request three “family reunion” trips a year, which include business-class airfare.
This power is designed to enable politicians to stay in touch with their families despite long working hours and extensive travel.
Ms Wells’ trip came under intense scrutiny after she charged taxpayers nearly $100,000 to take her and two staff to the United Nations to enforce the world’s first social media ban.
It has since been revealed that her husband Finn McCarthy demanded $1885 for return flights between Brisbane and Melbourne to attend the 2022 Boxing Day Test against South Africa.
He also demanded $1275 to fly Mr McCarthy to Sydney for the prime minister’s reception for the Australian and Pakistan cricket teams and $984 to fly him to Melbourne for a match at the MCG.
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