Labor claims Wells broke no rules with $100,000 New York flight bill

3 months ago 17

Communications Minister Anika Wells has failed to explain why her dash to New York in September cost almost $100,000 in flights, even though ministerial guidelines enshrined in law require ministers to consider whether expenses are in line with public expectations when approving travel.

Wells billed taxpayers for the last-minute return flights for herself, a staffer and a public servant to the UN to spruik the teen social media ban, while another $70,000 was spent on hosting an event.

She dismissed questions about the trip on Wednesday, saying the event propelled global momentum for Australia’s teen social media ban, but opposition communications spokeswoman Melissa McIntosh on Thursday said questions remained over how the cost of the flights could have been so high.

“The prime minister was in New York representing Australia, but she still went there,” McIntosh told Sky News. “On top of the judgment call there, to have these cost revelations, I don’t even know how you can have a cost so high for a flight where it’s $100k – that actually doesn’t make sense. Looking at the prices of airfares today for a trip tomorrow doesn’t even meet that.”

Parliamentary travel rules say ministers must meet obligations to achieve value for money and take personal responsibility and accountability when going on international trips.

Ministers should “keep the cost of international visits to a minimum to ensure the appropriate use of public resources. Every effort should be made to reduce the overall cost of the travel to the Australian government while achieving the required travel outcome,” the rules say.

Nationals leader David Littleproud said he didn’t begrudge politicians international travel, but it should be worth the expense.

“If you’re going overseas, get some value for money for the Australian taxpayer in making sure you’re bringing back some other information and knowledge that we can benefit from,” Littleproud said.

Under the travel rules, politicians should consider what the public’s expectations of the costs will be, as well as cost-saving measures such as taking one carrier for all legs of the trip.

Acting prime minister Richard Marles dodged questions about how the cost of the flights ballooned to almost $100,000, and only said the travel did not break any rules.

“At the end of the day, Anika has gone to New York and held a session in relation to our world-leading social media ban for kids and met with families who had lost their children,” Marles told Sky News. “It’s a really important initiative.”

Under the regulations, the prime minister “is responsible for final approval of official international travel by all ministers, their spouses and their staff”.

While Anthony Albanese and his office greenlit Wells’ travel at the last minute, it is not clear who saw the $100,000 cost before approval.

“The prime minister needs to explain on what basis he approved Anika Wells’ travel arrangements,” Liberal senator Sarah Henderson said. “In the middle of the Triple Zero crisis, he should have demanded his hapless minister stay at home.”

The prime minister’s office said: “All travel was undertaken in line with ministerial standards and guidelines”, but did not respond to questions about who gave final authorisation for the flights.

Opposition Leader Sussan Ley said Wells had “urgent questions” to answer, including why the minister left Australia during the Triple Zero crisis.

“She has real work to do, and now, with the social media ban coming into place in just about a week, we need confidence. Parents need confidence that they have a minister who understands the importance of this issue,” Ley said.

“We want to see parents, children and the community reassured that this will be done properly, and it will be done well under this minister. We have not got that assurance.”

When asked if the cost of Wells’ travel passed the pub test, Treasurer Jim Chalmers told ABC’s 7:30 on Wednesday: “That’s for others to judge.”

“But from my point of view, it’s official travel. It’s well within the guidelines and ... this is a really important opportunity for Australia in the world. And of course, our views should be heard in the world on this important change, which is all about making sure that our kids are safe when they’re online. That’s what this is about, and the minister doesn’t determine the cost of these sorts of visits.”

The company contracted to handle government travel, Corporate Travel Management, refused to answer questions about how the cost of the flights was calculated.