Communications Minister Anika Wells has publicly defended a significant taxpayer-funded trip to New York, which cost approximately $120,000, undertaken to promote Australia's impending ban on social media for children under 16.
Trip timing draws political fire
The journey, which took place in September during the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), has faced sharp criticism from the federal Coalition. Opponents highlighted that the travel occurred just days after the catastrophic Optus triple-zero network outage in September, an incident linked to four deaths.
Ms Wells addressed the controversy at the National Press Club on Wednesday, December 3, 2025. She stated the trip focused on "one of the most important public policy challenges of our times" and emphasised that her departure was deliberately postponed because of the Optus crisis. "It's a matter of public record that I delayed my departure because of the Optus outage," the Minister told reporters.
Detailed breakdown of $120,000 expenditure
The full cost of the travel was disclosed in documents prepared for the upcoming Senate estimates hearings. The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and Arts provided a detailed response to a question on notice.
The expenses covered airfares, accommodation, and transport for Ms Wells and two staff members: her deputy chief of staff and an assistant secretary. The total airfare cost for the trio was $94,829, with the Minister's flights accounting for roughly $34,000 of that sum. Ms Wells confirmed her tickets were not first-class.
A further $25,500 was spent on accommodation, ground transport, and meals for the delegation during their stay. Ms Wells argued that the public awareness of these figures was a result of government transparency.
UNGA event adds $70,000 to departmental bill
The Minister's itinerary in New York included meetings with international counterparts to discuss online safety and advocate for Australia's pioneering social media age restriction policy. Additionally, the Department of Infrastructure funded a high-level event during UNGA week titled "Protecting children in the digital age," hosted by the Prime Minister. This event alone cost about $70,000.
Ms Wells described the trip as "incredibly important," claiming the UNGA gathering helped build "global momentum in this space" and inspired other nations to consider similar bans.
The Communications Minister was not the only Australian official in New York for the UN meetings. The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water sent three officials with an approved budget of $92,918, as the event coincided with Climate Week. Furthermore, a report by The Canberra Times in August revealed the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spent over $400,000 on New York hotel accommodations for the UN General Assembly.
