Opposition slams ‘Air-Miles Anika’ over travel expenses linked to Labor friend’s birthday bash

The Opposition has accused Communications Minister Anika Wells of “taking the cake” again after another travel expenses scandal in the wake of her $120k trip to New York.

Liberal Senator James McGrath dubbed Ms Wells “Air-Miles Anika” after it was revealed she billed taxpayers $3681 for a two-day trip in June to Adelaide for official duties where she also attended the birthday party of a Labor friend.

Ms Wells had travelled from Brisbane to Adelaide on Friday, June 8 and returned on Sunday, June 8, according to travel records published by The Australian Financial Review.

During her trip, her official diary included meetings with South Australian ministers Emily Bourke and Chris Picton, a 45-minute Adelaide school visit, and a chat with Federal Labor colleague Trade Minister Don Farrell.

On Friday, it was reported the party was for Mr Picton’s wife Connie Blefari, an adviser to former prime minister Julia Gillard.

Her official meeting with Mr Picton was just hours before attending his wife’s birthday bash at a venue called The Jade.

Senator McGrath described the almost $100,000 spent on flights alone for Ms Wells and two staff to attend a three-day summit on social media in September as just the start for “full-time frequent flyer” Ms Wells.

“First, we find out the minister charged taxpayers $100k for a self-indulgent tour to the UN in New York, and now we find out she’s charged taxpayers $3681 for a trip to Adelaide to attend the birthday party of a Labor mate! This is taking the cake,” Senator McGrath said.

“We first saw Airbus Albo and now we have Air-Miles Anika who is a part-time Minister and a full-time frequent flyer.

“This minister is taking the taxpayers of Australia for an absolute ride while she sips on a spritz as the majority of Australians suffer at the hands of this government’s reckless spending.”

Opposition Leader Sussan Ley was just as scathing during a press conference in NSW on Friday.

She said the New York trip came as Australians were grappling with a triple-0 crisis in Australia.

“We’ve got a part time communications minister who’s also a full-time frequent flyer who thought it was okay to sting the taxpayers $100,000 for flights to New York for a six-minute speech on the sidelines of the UN,” Ms Ley said.

“Where is this minister who left her post in the middle of a triple-0 crisis when Australians needed to be reassured that when they called for an emergency someone would be on the end of the line.”

Ms Ley accused Labor of slapping Australia with a “$1.2 trillion debt bomb” “because of its runaway spending”.

Ms Wells had faced criticism during her address at the National Press Club on Wednesday, which she used to spruik the ban just a week out from the December 10 start date.

When asked how she could justify the cost of her trip, she claimed it was a key moment to get other international leaders on board.

“That event fuelled a global momentum in this space,” Ms Wells said in response to press questions, adding that all her travel was within guidelines.

Ms Wells added that the only reason the flight costs were known was because she and her department had released the details publicly.

Ms Wells held meetings with tech company executives during the three-day trip in September but the centrepiece of her program was an event on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.

Ms Wells MC’d the event, which was attended by EU president Ursula von der Leyen and advocate Emma Mason, whose teenage daughter Tilly took her own life after online bullying.

Figures revealed in Senate Estimates this week show the return flights to New York for Ms Wells and two staff cost almost $95,000.

Accommodation and transport were more than $20,000 while the UN event’s cost almost $70,000 to host.