Minister ordered to pay $10k over travel expenses scandal

Friday, 8 May 2026 14:32

Anika Wells has repaid $10,116 to the public purse for four taxpayer-funded trips, which included $8093 in expenses and a $2023 penalty.

Anika Wells has been ordered to pay more than $10,000 in claimed travel expenses and fines after the communications and sport minister faced an extensive audit of her taxpayer-funded claims.

Wells has repaid $10,116 to taxpayers, $8093 in wrongfully claimed expenses and a $2023 penalty, according to audit documents published by the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority (IPEA).

The IPEA found four trips out of a total of 25 which were claimed under the government's family reunion rule "did not fully satisfy the requirements of the Parliamentary Business Resources (PBR) regulation".

Minister for Communications and Minister for Sport Anika Wells during a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra on Tuesday 28 April 2026. fedpol Photo: Alex Ellinghausen

One of the expensed trips took place in February 2022, while the rest occurred between May and October 2025.

In a statement shared with Nine.com.au, Wells said the audit "found no misconduct or ethical breaches" and that she had repaid the cost of her "honest mistakes" in full.

"The audit found, over four years of travel, involving nearly 250 separate trips, I made four mistakes," Wells said.

"These were four cases where I chose what I thought was the more sensible, cheaper option, but those choices were not allowed according to the rules, which I accept and respect.

"I accept IPEA's assessment and I am sorry for making these honest mistakes."

Minister for Communications and Minister for Sport Anika Wells ahead of an address to the National Press Club of Australia in Canberra on Wednesday 3 December 2025. fedpol Photo: Alex Ellinghausen

Wells first faced public scrutiny over her taxpayer spending in December last year after it was revealed she spent nearly $100,000 on a three-day trip to New York City.

Wells stung the public purse with $94,828.75 on return flights for herself and two staffers to attend the United Nations General Assembly in early September.

It was later revealed that Wells had also flown her husband Finn McCarthy to several cricket events, including two Boxing Day Test matches, and logged the $4000 expenses under the Commonwealth's family reunion provision.

The IPEA found the New York trip and Boxing Day Test matches to be appropriate claims of travel expenses.

When asked about the cost of the NYC trip during a National Press Club address, Wells said her office had been "transparent" about the flights.

"The reason you know all those things is we're transparent about them, we'll disclose them and we'll continue to disclose them and we'll continue to disclose information about that trip through the usual processes," Wells said at the time.

She later defended the cricket-related flights, saying "every parliamentarian has family reunion entitlements".

Speaking to reporters in Melbourne, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Wells had paid back the money.

"We have IPEA. We have an independent parliamentary expenses authority, who's in charge of this," Albanese said.

"She referred herself to it, which was appropriate, and it was appropriate that she pay back the money.

"That has been done, and she has paid back the money in accordance with the rules."

NEVER MISS A STORY: Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.