Anika Wells Repays $10,000 in Travel Costs

Anika Wells repaid $10,000 to the taxpayer.

In short

Anika Wells repaid $10,000 in travel costs.

A former staffer must repay $11,000.

What's next?

IPEA introduced new oversight measures.

Anika Wells repaid $10,000 for a family flight.

Anika Wells apologized for mistakes in her travel claims.

Anika Wells returned $10,116 to the taxpayer.

Anika Wells referred herself to IPEA in December.

Anika Wells's travel expenses sparked media attention.

IPEA assessed 250 travel claims and found four breaches.

IPEA audited a former staff member of Jacqui Lambie.

Wells's New York and Thredbo trips were cleared.

A 2025 trip to Thredbo met the requirements of travel rules.

Anika Wells spent $118,000 on flights to New York.

Anika Wells took her family to a Thredbo ski resort.

IPEA found the overseas trip was within rules.

IPEA will flag high-cost bookings for parliamentarians.

IPEA will discuss proposed bookings with parliamentarians.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese backed Anika Wells.

The Prime Minister said the UN trip was worth it.

Anika Wells paid back the money for her travel costs.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese attended the UN General Assembly.

Four trips were found to be in breach of rules.

The breaches were related to travel not for parliamentary purposes.

A breach included $1,208.98 for flights taken by her husband.

Anika Wells's husband traveled to collect their child.

IPEA found the misinterpretation of the family travel allowance understandable.

Parliamentarians' use of travel entitlements has been scrutinized.

Another breach related to $5,513.37 in flights and a hire car.

The family traveled to accompany Anika Wells's swearing-in.

The third expense repaid was a $726.29 flight.

Anika Wells's husband traveled to Melbourne for the AFL Grand Final.

Ms Wells and her husband attended the grand final game.

The return flight to Brisbane was not within the rules.

The final breach occurred with $644.25 in hire car expenses.

A former Jacqui Lambie staffer must repay $11,000.

The staffer inappropriately used $11,000 worth of hire car travel.

The findings relate to hire cars picked up from Davenport airport.

The staffer accused Jacqui Lambie of being disgruntled and hostile.

One of Jacqui Lambie's staffers was found to have misused hire cars.

The staffer said Jacqui Lambie had previously threatened former employees.

Employees can claim travel for official business.

They are entitled to a car hire if public transport is unavailable.

Senator Lambie's office manager sought to clarify the rules.

The office manager was told the advice was incorrect.

Senator Lambie assumed they were following the right advice.

The staffer lived on the mainland and hired a car to drive to Burnie.

The cars were kept for several days and used to visit various locations.

IPEA found the staffer was entitled to use a hire car to Burnie.

Senator Lambie had not formally approved the car hire extension.

IPEA found no evidence of approval for extended car hire.

The staffer claimed Jacqui Lambie directed them to use hire cars.

The staffer did not get written evidence of the direction.

IPEA sent a letter to the staffer with a list of transgressions.

The staffer did not reply to the letter.

The staffer is yet to pay the bill of $11,694.49.

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