<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>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 </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/anika-wells-husband-4000-flights-to-boxing-day-cricket/2998ecaa-8e37-4aa0-96b3-bd49c29f5458" rel="" target="_blank" title="extensive audit of her taxpayer-funded claims."><span>extensive audit of her taxpayer-funded claims.</span></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>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).</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The IPEA found four trips out of a total of 25 which were claimed under the </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/anika-wells-expenses-family-reunion-entitlements-parliamentarian-taxpayer-spending-rules-explained/e35c24ab-5a97-49ec-b985-36c352511ec9" rel="" target="_blank" title="government's family reunion rule"><span>government's family reunion rule</span></a><span> "did not fully satisfy the requirements of the Parliamentary Business Resources </span><em><span>(</span></em><span>PBR) regulation".</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/isis-brides-return-to-australia-update-two-women-set-to-be-charged-with-crimes-against-humanity-and-one-with-belonging-to-a-terrorist-group/a21f8385-426a-4792-99ef-39e3aaeacde3" target="_blank"><strong><span>Two 'ISIS brides' charged with slavery offences after three arrested upon arrival in Australia</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>One of the expensed trips took place in February 2022, while the rest occurred between May and October 2025.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In a statement shared with </span><a href="https://www.nine.com.au/" rel="" target="_blank" title="Nine.com.au"><span>Nine.com.au</span></a><span>, Wells said the audit "found no misconduct or ethical breaches" and that she had repaid the cost of her "honest mistakes" in full.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The audit found, over four years of travel, involving nearly 250 separate trips, I made four mistakes," Wells said.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/anika-wells-repays-over-ten-thousands-dollars-travel-expenses/845213d5-38ff-4641-ae19-88add627fc92" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"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.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I accept IPEA's assessment and I am sorry for making these honest mistakes."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/hantavirus-outbreak-symptoms-transmission-risks-everything-you-need-know-explained/52a07cc8-8f6d-405b-a7a6-efd9a2aa6f03" target="_blank"><strong><span>What is hantavirus? Everything to know about the deadly cruise ship outbreak</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Wells first faced public scrutiny over her taxpayer spending in December last year after it </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/anika-wells-minister-for-communications-taxpayers-foot-100k-fights-to-new-york-city/c4f56da2-5291-45e9-bae6-512c2f03622d" rel="" target="" title="was revealed she spent nearly $100,000 on a three-day trip to New York City."><span>was revealed she spent nearly $100,000 on a three-day trip to New York City.</span></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>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.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>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.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The IPEA found the New York trip and Boxing Day Test matches to be appropriate claims of travel expenses.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>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.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"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.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>She later defended the cricket-related flights, saying "every parliamentarian has family reunion entitlements".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Speaking to reporters in Melbourne, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Wells had paid back the money.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We have IPEA. We have an independent parliamentary expenses authority, who's in charge of this," Albanese said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"She referred herself to it, which was appropriate, and it was appropriate that she pay back the money.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"That has been done, and she has paid back the money in accordance with the rules."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><em><strong><span>NEVER MISS A STORY: Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.</span></strong></em></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><ul><li><em><strong><span>Download the 9NEWS App here via</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727" target="" title=""><em><strong><span>Apple</span></strong></em></a><span> </span><em><strong><span>and</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU&amp;pli=1" target="" title=""><em><strong><span>Google Play</span></strong></em></a></li><li><em><strong><span>Make 9News your preferred source on Google by</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://9.nine.com.au/8x987w" target="" title=""><em><strong><span>ticking this box here</span></strong></em></a></li><li><em><strong><span>Sign up to</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://login.nine.com.au/edm?client_id=nineatnine" target="" title=""><em><strong><span>our breaking newsletter here</span></strong></em></a></li></ul></div></div>