Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has publicly defended his authorisation of a $100,000 taxpayer-funded trip to New York for Communications Minister Anika Wells, arguing it was vital to build international backing for Australia's contentious social media ban.
Scrutiny over travel entitlements
The minister's travel expenses have come under intense examination following reports by Nine newspapers. They revealed that in June, Wells' family joined her on a skiing holiday to Thredbo using taxpayer-funded family reunion entitlements, while she was there for an official event.
Wells defended both the New York and Thredbo trips on Sunday, stating all travel was within entitlement rules and that she welcomed the scrutiny. "I used my family reunion entitlement within the guidelines, as every parliamentarian can do," she said.
The $100,000 UN mission
Albanese told the ABC's Insiders programme that Wells's short visit to the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in September was crucial for diplomatic efforts. The goal was to gain allies in Australia's fight against powerful tech companies over its world-first plan to ban social media for users under 16, which is due to come into effect this Wednesday.
"When you've got Australia, a middle power taking on these global giants … it has helped that we have others in our corner now," Albanese stated, warning of the potential for isolation by influential tech firms.
The trip was initially planned for Wells to fly with the Prime Minister, but was delayed following a triple-zero outage during an Optus network upgrade that was linked to three deaths. Albanese later approved last-minute commercial flights for Wells, a staffer, and a departmental official.
Detailed costs show taxpayers were charged $95,000 for the three flights. Accommodation and ground transport claims totalled several thousand US dollars for the delegation. Furthermore, the communications department paid US$45,744 (approximately A$70,000) to host an event titled "Protecting children in the digital age" at the UN.
Justifying the expenditure
Wells described being caught between the domestic crisis and the international mission as a "really tricky situation." She told Sky News she chose the option that allowed her to discharge her duties in both areas, attending critical meetings with senior executives at Meta, Microsoft, and Amazon in New York.
Albanese, when questioned about the cost details, remarked, "I didn't get all the receipts … this will come as a shock … but I don't, you know, ring up and make bookings myself."
The controversy echoes past political expense scandals and highlights the role of the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority (IPEA). This body was established after former health minister Sussan Ley faced criticism for a taxpayer-funded trip to the Gold Coast in 2017, during which she purchased an apartment from a Liberal party donor.
