The Australian government is facing sharp criticism over excessive spending on trips and family vacations funded from the federal budget. According to "The Australian," the opposition is demanding a review of the validity of travel expenses and a review of the current system of benefits and compensation for cabinet members and their families. One of the reasons for the scandal was a family trip by Communications and Sports Minister Anika Wales to the Thredbo ski resort, located 500 km southwest of Sydney. This trip, unrelated to the minister's work, cost more than 3,000 Australian dollars (2,000 US dollars) and was fully funded by the federal budget. James Patterson, a spokesman for the opposition Liberal Party, said: "Wales is unprecedented." Media outlets also revealed travel expenses for Trade and Tourism Minister Don Farrell, who spent about 50,000 Australian dollars (33,000 US dollars) from his budget on airline tickets for his family. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese acknowledged the criticism but refused to change the current rules regarding government travel expenses. He said: "The situation is controversial, and I understand that completely. I also understand that taxpayers have the right to expect their money to be spent optimally." Under current Australian law, members of parliament and government officials are entitled to claim their travel expenses and the expenses of their family members. "No of my parliamentary colleagues have ever gone on a ski holiday funded by taxpayers," proposing "immediate changes to the rules governing ministers' travel expenses." Minister Wales has contacted the Parliamentary Expenditure Monitoring Office, which will assess the trip, and we will await its recommendations." The Prime Minister confirmed that "his government did not set the rules that provide entitlements and compensation for ministers.".
