Sports and Communications Minister Anika Wells told a parliamentary watchdog that she conducted official business at an evening function celebrating a friend’s birthday during a taxpayer-funded trip to Adelaide.

The explanation emerged in a 268-page audit by the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority (IPEA), which scrutinised Wells’ travel claims after she referred herself for review amid mounting political pressure. 

At the centre of the Adelaide trip was Wells’ account of how a planned meeting with South Australian Health Minister Chris Picton fell through at the last minute and was replaced by what she described as a ‘sideline meeting’ later that night.

She told the watchdog that a scheduled meeting with the office of Trade Minister Don Farrell ‘ran over time’.

‘The meeting with the South Australian Minister for Health and Wellbeing did not take place as scheduled in the afternoon due to the prior meeting running over,’ she said in her submission to IPEA.

‘We instead held a sideline meeting during a function later that evening. I therefore estimate that my parliamentary business concluded at 7:45pm on 7 June.’

The ‘function’ referred to in the report coincided with a 40th birthday celebration for Wells’ friend Connie Blefari, who is married to Picton. 

The trip blended official duties with the social event, raising questions about whether parliamentary business was conducted in what was effectively a private setting.

IPEA accepted Wells’ account, finding her explanation sufficient to justify the travel as primarily work-related. 

Anika Wells (pictured) said she did work on the sideline of a 40th birthday party in Adelaide

Wells (left) was ordered to pay back over $10,000 following an audit of her travel expenses

The authority concluded it was reasonable for her to remain overnight and return the following day, given her claim that parliamentary business continued into the evening.

Details of the ‘sideline meeting’ emerged as Wells was ordered to repay $10,116 to taxpayers after an audit released on Friday found four breaches of parliamentary travel rules across a broader set of trips between 2022 and 2025.

Those breaches primarily related to family travel entitlements that did not meet the requirement of being predominantly for parliamentary purposes. 

Wells accepted the findings and apologised, describing the issues as ‘honest mistakes’ and acknowledging she had misunderstood how the rules applied when attempting to choose cheaper travel options. 

The Adelaide trip, however, did not fall into that category. 

Instead, the watchdog drew a distinction between it and the non-compliant claims, relying heavily on her assertion that work continued during the evening event.

The audit came after months of scrutiny over Wells’ use of taxpayer-funded travel, including high-profile trips to sporting events and a costly visit to New York to promote Australia’s social media restrictions at the United Nations.

Wells had a ‘sideline meeting’ with South Australian Health Minister Chris Picton at his wife Connie’s 40th birthday. Pictured are Chris Picton and his wife

Wells referred herself to the IPEA following widespread criticism.  

While those trips attracted criticism, IPEA found most of them complied with the rules, narrowing its concerns to a small number of specific breaches. 

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has backed Wells throughout the controversy, pointing to her decision to initiate the audit and repay the money once issues were identified.

‘She referred herself to it, which was appropriate, and it was appropriate that she paid back the money,’ he told reporters on Friday.

‘She has done what the rules require. Anika Wells is a very good minister doing extraordinary work.’

He also defended the value of her travel, particularly the New York trip, arguing it was important in building international support for Australia’s social media laws targeting under-16s. 

Following the audit, IPEA has flagged tighter oversight measures, including earlier scrutiny of high-cost travel bookings, in an effort to prevent similar controversies in the future.