Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his ministers have flown into Melbourne for an ‘official’ cabinet meeting scheduled just hours before a luxury Labor Party fundraiser, where tickets run into the six-figure range.

Daily Mail can reveal the timing means interstate ministers can bill taxpayers for flights and travel, as the trip is classified as government business rather than a political visit.

Thursday night’s event at the Ritz-Carlton is hosted by the Labor Business Forum – Labor’s elite donor network offering high-priced access to senior ministers.

Cabinet will meet this afternoon at the Commonwealth Parliamentary Offices in Melbourne’s CBD, just 15 minutes from the fundraising venue.

Under parliamentary rules, MPs cannot claim expenses for party fundraisers. However, holding an official meeting beforehand makes the travel eligible for taxpayer funding.

Membership of the LBF costs up to $110,000 per organisation, with premium tiers reaching $121,000.

One-off lunches or dinners with the Prime Minister have reportedly sold for between $10,000 and $15,000 per seat.

The LBF generated about $7 million for Labor in 2025.

Albanese (pictured) and his ministers will attend an ALP fundraiser after a cabinet meeting

The practice, which was also used by previous Coalition governments, has been criticised as a loophole that effectively subsidises political fundraising with taxpayer-funded travel.

The controversy comes amid scrutiny over Communications and Sport Minister Anika Wells’ travel and entertainment expenses.

Wells has referred herself for a full audit by the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority following mounting public pressure.

Many of Wells’ controversial claims were made under family reunion travel entitlements, which allow MPs’ family members to travel at taxpayer expense to support family life during parliamentary business.

One high-profile incident involved a taxpayer-funded trip to New York for government events linked to the social media age-ban policy.

Flights alone cost $65,995 for Wells and her deputy chief of staff. Last-minute changes increased the total to $72,592.44.

Including accommodation, local transport and additional official flights, the total cost of the trip reached about $118,000 – all funded by taxpayers.

Wells was also criticised after a government Comcar idled for seven hours while she attended the Australian Open tennis final in January 2023, costing $1,000.

The Ritz Carlton fundraiser is happening just 15 minutes away from the cabinet meeting

She claimed $8,500 in family travel expenses for trips to the AFL Grand Final in 2022, 2023 and 2024, combining work responsibilities with attendance at the sporting event.

In another incident, Wells flew from Brisbane to Sydney for ministerial meetings on the same day she attended a private 40th birthday celebration with friends, including Albanese.

The taxpayer-funded return flights and two official car trips totalled $1,589.84, which is now included in the IPEA audit.

Daily Mail contacted Albanese for comment.