Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has defended his decision to approve a £100,000 trip to New York for Communications Minister Anika Wells and two staff to promote Australia's social media ban at the United Nations General Assembly. The trip, which cost taxpayers £95,000 for flights alone, has sparked criticism from opposition figures who question the expense.
Wells faced scrutiny over the trip and a separate taxpayer-funded family skiing holiday to Thredbo in June. She defended both, stating they were within entitlement rules. The communications department also spent £70,000 hosting an event titled 'Protecting children in the digital age' at the UN.
Albanese told ABC's Insiders that the trip was crucial for gaining international support against 'global giants' in tech. 'When you've got Australia, a middle power taking on these global giants … it has helped that we have others in our corner now,' he said.
Shadow Finance Minister James Paterson called for the expenses to be reviewed by the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority, saying, 'It bewilders me how she managed to spend that amount of money on those flights.'
Wells argued the trip was necessary to win allies for Australia's world-leading social media ban for under-16s, which comes into effect this Wednesday. She acknowledged the 'tricky situation' but welcomed scrutiny.
