Sarah Henderson has called on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to stand down Anika Wells, accusing the Communications Minister of lying about meetings used to justify a taxpayer-funded trip to Adelaide.
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Henderson → call → Adelaide
Speaking to News24 host Andrew Clennell on Sunday, the Opposition communications spokeswoman claimed Ms Wells had misled the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority.
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Wells → speak → Authority
'Yes, I do think she's lying,' Henderson said.
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Henderson → think → ?
'I think she has lied to the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority, IPEA.
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she → think → Authority
'The whole thing is a rort and the Prime Minister needs to take action and stand her down.
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Minister → need → her
The remarks come after a string of Freedom of Information disclosures raised fresh questions about meetings Wells claimed as official business during a June 2025 trip to Adelaide that cost taxpayers $3,681.82.
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that → come → 3,681.82
The Communications Minister travelled to Adelaide on June 6 and attended the 40th birthday celebration of her friend Connie Blefari, the wife of South Australian minister Chris Picton, the following evening.
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Minister → travel → Picton
Ms Wells told IPEA that she met Trade Minister Don Farrell’s chief of staff, Ben Rillo, on June 7 and had also planned to meet South Australian minister Chris Picton that afternoon.
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she → tell → Picton
Sarah Henderson (pictured) said Anthony Albanese should stand aside Anika Wells
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Albanese → picture → ?
She said the discussion ran overtime, meaning a planned afternoon meeting with Picton instead became a 'sideline meeting' during his wife's birthday celebration that evening.
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meeting → say → celebration
However, Henderson said the growing body of FOI material undermined the minister's account.
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body → say → account
'It is clear that there is no evidence that the meeting with both Minister Farrell's chief of staff and also with Chris Picton occurred,' she told Clennell.
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she → be → Clennell
An FOI response obtained by the Coalition found Farrell's office could not locate emails, text messages, diary entries or other documents relating to the meeting Wells said occurred with Rillo on the afternoon of June 7.
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Wells → obtain → June
However, Farrell's office confirmed the meeting took place and said details had been provided to IPEA during its audit of Wells' travel claims.
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details → confirm → claims
The disclosure followed the release of Picton's ministerial diary, which did not explicitly record a meeting with Wells that day.
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which → follow → Wells
The diary recorded 'personal affairs' from 5pm onwards, while an earlier personal entry was redacted.
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entry → record → pm
Anika Wells (pictured) reaffirmed that she had already complied with IPEA requirements
Wells told IPEA her planned afternoon meeting with Picton did not proceed and that they instead held a 'sideline meeting' during the birthday celebration, with her parliamentary business concluding at 7.45pm.
IPEA accepted Wells' explanation after conducting an audit.
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IPEA → picture → audit
The authority found it was reasonable for her to remain in Adelaide overnight and return to Brisbane the following morning.
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her → find → Brisbane
Ms Wells personally paid for her Saturday-night accommodation but claimed flights, car services and other travel costs associated with the visit.
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Wells → pay → visit
Henderson argued those claims were central to Wells' ability to charge the trip to taxpayers.
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claims → argue → taxpayers
'What she's done, she's argued that her parliamentary business finished early in the evening with a nonsensical claim that she had a meeting at a birthday party with one of her closest friend's husbands, who happens to be a South Australian Labor minister,' she said.
'
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she → do → husbands
And by claiming that her parliamentary business finished early in the evening, she's then entitled to fly home on the taxpayer's dime.'
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she → claim → dime
Henderson said Wells could have stayed in Adelaide in a personal capacity had her official duties concluded earlier in the day, but argued taxpayers should not have covered associated travel costs.
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taxpayers → say → costs
Wells said she attended a 'sideline' meeting in Adelaide with SA Minister Chris Picton (left)
'Not only should she repay that fare, but I think the Prime Minister needs to stand her down,' she said.
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she → say → her
It's clear she has lied.
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she → lie → ?
It's clear she has lied to IPEA and also to the parliament.'
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she → lie → parliament
The Liberal senator also criticised Wells for failing to answer parliamentary questions about the trip.
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senator → criticise → trip
'We've got myriad questions on notice.
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We → get → notice
Ninety-three days we have been waiting for those questions to be returned, including details as to when that meeting with Chris Picton took place, where it was and how long it took,' she said.
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she → wait → long
She's refusing to answer those questions because she has lied.
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she → refuse → questions
Wells has defended the trip, saying she had provided all relevant information to the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority (IPEA) as part of an audit covering more than 250 ministerial trips.
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she → defend → trips
'I have provided all of the information for that trip, among 250 work trips that I have undertaken as a minister, to the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority,' Wells told ABC on Thursday.
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Wells → provide → Thursday
'IPEA did a complete audit of that trip and the 250 other trips.
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IPEA → do → trip
All parties on that trip confirmed publicly those engagements, and IPEA made its conclusions and published a report five months ago back in May.'
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IPEA → confirm → May
Pressed by host Sarah Ferguson on whether she had met with the office of South Australian Senator Don Farrell during the trip, Wells replied: 'Yes, and that has been confirmed.'
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that → press → trip
The Aporia
