Communications and Sports Minister Anika Wells—already under scrutiny over grey-market mobile phones and inadequate smartphone certification processes following the deaths of five people—is now facing renewed attention, this time involving her husband and taxpayer-funded travel.

This is the same Labor Minister who along with carriers moved to blame Samsung instead of her own department for recent failures.

Her husband, Finn McCarthy—who frequently appears at sporting events under the name Fin Wells—seems to have enjoyed a string of high-profile, government-funded outings.

These include trips to Thredbo, the Boxing Day Cricket Tests, AFL Grand Finals, and the Formula One Grand Prix, all while working as either an executive at an organisation linked with the Sydney Swans and later as Government Affairs Manager at Suncorp. He has not said whether he intends to accompany Minister Wells to next year’s Winter Olympic Games, after recent revelations that she used public funds for travel, luxury dining at Michelin-rated restaurants, and questionable expenses linked to Formula One events.

Wells also charged taxpayers more than $4000 in flights so her husband Finn could join her at three cricket events, including the Boxing Day Test match twice.

In 2022 and 2024, Wells flew McCarthy from Brisbane to Melbourne under family reunion entitlements to attend the December 26 Test match, while enjoying the corporate hospitality of the sport’s governing body.

The Communication Minister also billed taxpayers almost $9000 for return flights so that her husband could attend three consecutive AFL grand finals, with the Communications Minister’s three children.

As the then-sports minister, Ms Wells attended the premiership decider in 2022, 2023, and 2024 and on three occasions arranged for her husband, Finn McCarthy, to fly from Brisbane to Melbourne, at the expense of the taxpayer.

Although there is no suggestion McCarthy has acted improperly, his role at Suncorp now appears to have placed him in what critics are describing as “freebie heaven,” with repeated access to premium sporting experiences.

 

Conflict-of-Interest Concerns

Questions have also emerged over potential conflicts of interest stemming from McCarthy’s corporate role and Wells’ ministerial portfolio.

Suncorp is the principal partner of Netball Australia, while Anika Wells serves as Australia’s Minister for Sport—a highly sought-after portfolio within Labor’s ranks. As Sports Minister, Wells has been involved in significant policy and funding decisions affecting national sporting bodies, including Netball Australia, which receives major sponsorship from her husband’s employer.

Suncorp’s partnership is one of the most substantial in Australian women’s sport, extending from grassroots development through to the elite level.

The company holds naming rights for the Suncorp Super Netball League, supports the Australian Diamonds, and funds youth initiatives such as Net Set Go. Its “Team Girls” campaign focuses on empowering women and girls, lifting player salaries, and strengthening community participation.

In June 2024 in Brisbane, Anika Wells joined Netball Australia’s leadership and players to announce a A$6 million federal investment toward the 2027 world cup.

Given this, critics argue that McCarthy is well-positioned to advocate for netball interests to his well-connected, frequently travelling ministerial spouse.

Calls for an Independent Review

Liberal Senator Jane Hume has called for a comprehensive review of Minister Wells’ travel expenses, as scrutiny over her taxpayer-funded trips—and those involving her husband—continues to escalate.

Following the addition of an $1,800 trip to the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix to Wells’ expense record, Senator Hume argued that while the minister may have technically complied with parliamentary rules, her choices “don’t pass the pub test.”

Wells has already faced questions over taxpayers covering her husband’s flights to the Melbourne Grand Prix, the Boxing Day Test, and her official trips to New York and Adelaide. Hume accused Wells of exploiting family-reunion flight allowances:

“She’s working her way around the rules rather than abiding by the spirit of them,” Hume told Sky News.

Hume said Wells could end the controversy by requesting a full review from the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority (IPEA):

“They could examine all of Anika Wells’ expenditure and reassure both her and the public that everything she has done is within the rules.”

Senator Maria Kovacic echoed these concerns, saying Wells’ travel choices failed to meet community expectations, particularly during a cost-of-living crisis:

“The idea that you can game the rules to your advantage doesn’t sit well with the public—or with some of Anika Wells’ colleagues.”

Both Hume and Kovacic acknowledged the importance of allowing parliamentarians to reunite with their families, but maintained that the current situation warrants closer scrutiny and possibly a reassessment of the rules.

Nine Media recently reported during the 2022–23 Test series against South Africa, Wells billed taxpayers for family reunion flights on December 26, allowing McCarthy to travel between Brisbane and Melbourne in a single day.

The two fares totalled $1885.29. Wells also accepted three complimentary corporate tickets from Cricket Australia.

In the 2023–24 season against Pakistan, Wells received only one complimentary ticket to the Boxing Day Test and did not charge taxpayers for her husband’s travel to Melbourne.

A few days later, however, taxpayers covered another $1274.72 for two additional family reunion flights between Brisbane and Sydney on January 1, enabling McCarthy to accompany her to Prime Minister Albanese’s reception for the Australian and Pakistani teams at Kirribilli House.

In the 2024–25 season, Wells again claimed reunion travel expenses—$983.82 for McCarthy to fly return from Brisbane to Melbourne on December 26 so he could join her at the MCG, where they were guests of Cricket Australia.

According to data from the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority, the total taxpayer cost for these flights over three years was $4183.83. In each instance, the sports minister and her husband spent only a single day together.

With corporate box seats at the MCG costing up to $995 per person, the six complimentary tickets provided by Cricket Australia could be worth nearly $6000.

Sports ministers and opposition spokespeople regularly attend major sporting events as guests of relevant organisations, and such appearances generally satisfy the “dominant purpose” test that determines whether parliamentary travel is appropriate.

Wells stated that the hospitality she received from Cricket Australia complies with parliamentary rules governing the register of members’ interests.