Communications minister Anika Wells repays $10,000 in incorrect travel expenses

The communications minister, Anika Wells, has repaid more than $10,000 for incorrect travel claims, identified amid controversy about her use of taxpayer-funded entitlements.In a statement released on Friday, Wells said an audit by the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority identified four mistakes in her claims dating back to Labor’s 2022 election victory, worth a combined $8,092.89.As a result she has repaid $10,116.11, including a 25% penalty loading for incorrect claims.Wells’ official travel sparked a firestorm of criticism in late 2025, after it emerged she spent more than $100,000 to fly with a staffer to New York to promote the government’s social media ban for under 16s at a United Nations event.Wells faced weeks of criticism and media scrutiny about her use of taxpayer funds for official travel and family reunion entitlements, including to attend major sporting events such as the AFL Grand Final and Formula One race, and taking her children to a ski event in Thredbo.“The publicly available audit found no misconduct or ethical breaches,” she said on Friday.“The audit found, over four years of travel, involving nearly 250 separate trips, I made four mistakes.“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.”Wells said she accepted the decision by the watchdog and apologised for “honest mistakes”.Among breaches highlighted in the audit report was travel by Wells’ husband, Finn McCarthy, in February 2022 to collect the couple’s child from Canberra. Wells had contracted Covid-19 and could not travel.A separate trip in May last year was found not to be official parliamentary business.A return flight by McCarthy after the 2025 AFL Grand Final was found to be outside the rules because Wells had flown separately and therefore concluded her official business.Wells also repaid some costs for official travel in government cars.Her travel to the UN event was found not to have breached the rules, as Wells had “very limited flight options” available at the last minute. The audit found Wells had taken “due regard to her obligation to ensure value for money” on the trip.Prime minister Anthony Albanese defended Wells on Friday, rejecting calls for her to resign over the breaches.“She referred herself to it which was appropriate and it was appropriate that she paid back the money … in accordance with the rules,” he said during a campaigning stop with the Victorian premier in Melbourne.“She has done what the rules require. Anika Wells is a very good minister doing extraordinary work … and Anika Wells has apologised.”Albanese said the shadow infrastructure minister, Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie, had been found to have breached travel rules but remained on the opposition frontbench.Controversy about Wells’ use of taxpayer-funded money sparked changes to politicians’ travel rules.In December, Albanese announced new rules stopping family members of federal politicians flying business class at taxpayers’ expense. The changes also restricted most family travel to destinations other than Canberra.Under the new rules, a spouse or partner of a senior politician can only use taxpayer-funded travel to and from destinations outside Canberra if they are specifically invited to an official event.