Overview
- Albanese confirmed his office approved last‑minute commercial flights for Anika Wells and two others to attend UN events, with the three business‑class fares costing about $95,000.
- Wells says the New York visit advanced Australia’s under‑16 social media ban, included tech‑sector meetings, and coincided with a Communications Department event that cost about $70,000.
- Expense records show Wells used a family reunion entitlement for a June Thredbo weekend that cost taxpayers roughly $2,845.50 while she attended parasport events and announced $2 million in funding.
- Further scrutiny has focused on a $3,600 Adelaide trip that included a friend’s birthday and reports of three Paris trips in a year costing more than $116,000.
- The government maintains all claims met the rules, the opposition says they fail community standards, and there has been no finding of a breach or indication of repayment.