Sports Minister Anika Wells has confirmed she will attend this year\u2019s AFL Grand Final, insisting it is important for ministers to be \u201con the ground\u201d at major sporting events.<\/p>\n
She confirmed her attendance on Sunday after noticeably stepping back from marquee events<\/a> in the wake of her travel and expenses scandal.<\/p>\n Ms Wells was ordered to pay back $10,000 in parliamentary travel costs<\/a>, including a family flight home from the 2025 AFL Grand Final, after breaching expense rules.<\/p>\n But the Communications and Sports Minister was back at the AFL on Saturday night to watch the Brisbane Lions defeat the Adelaide Crows.<\/p>\n Asked whether she planned to attend the AFL Grand Final if the Lions made it that far, Ms Wells said she would be there, rain, hail or shine.<\/p>\n \u201cWhether the Lions get there or not, I will be there because it’s a huge event in both the Communications and Sports stakeholder calendars,\u201d Ms Wells told the ABC.<\/p>\n \u201cI see dozens of my stakeholders in that room. It’s a great opportunity for us to confer briefly rather than planning meetings months in advance.<\/p>\n \u201cEverybody \u2013 be it broadcast CEOs, be it national sport organisations executives \u2013 expect to be able to see their Sport Minister to be on the ground.\u201d<\/p>\n The declaration marks a return to the major sporting-event circuit for Ms Wells after she was effectively \u201cbenched\u201d from sporting events<\/a>.<\/p>\n News24.com.au revealed in February that Ms Wells had skipped a string of marquee events over the summer.<\/p>\n It was a dramatic change for a minister once dubbed the \u201cMinister for Scarves\u201d for regularly appearing at sporting events around the country.<\/p>\n News24.com.au analysis at the time found Ms Wells had attended at least 10 sporting events during the summer of 2024-25.<\/p>\n But during the 2025-26 summer, she appeared to attend only two minor sporting events, both in her hometown of Brisbane.<\/p>\n Her retreat from the sporting calendar followed intense scrutiny of her use of taxpayer-funded travel.<\/p>\n Ms Wells was forced to pay back more than $10,000 in taxpayer funds for family trips which did not meet regulations governing parliamentary benefits.<\/p>\n While Ms Wells will attend the AFL Grand Final, she has been benched from the government\u2019s trip to New York for the UN General Assembly<\/a>.<\/p>\n Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is expected to spruik the government’s social media crackdown in New York, but Ms Wells will be absent.<\/p>\n It comes after Ms Wells charged taxpayers almost $100,000 for a three-day summit to New York in 2025<\/a>.<\/p>\n News24.com.au asked Ms Wells on Tuesday if she would be attending the New York UN General Assembly in September, but she dodged the question.<\/p>\n Asked again, Mr Albanese stepped in and said Ms Wells attended last year’s conference for a \u201cspecific event\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cThe minister went to a News Corp sponsored event in New York (in 2025)\u2026 That was for a specific event that was there,\u201d Mr Albanese said on Tuesday.<\/p>\n \u201cThis time around in New York, we\u2019ll be having our launch of the UN Security Council bid but also work on climate change\u2026 I can confirm that I will be travelling there.\u201d<\/p>\n Read related topics:Lilley MP Anika Wells<\/a>Sport<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Sports Minister Anika Wells has confirmed she will attend this year\u2019s AFL Grand Final, insisting it is 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