Anika Wells claimed more than $8,500 for family travel to Melbourne during AFL grand final weekends over three years

Grant Hutchinson, the Victorian Liberal candidate for the marginal seat of Croydon, is facing allegations from current and former partners of his law firm, who claim he engaged in bullying and misused business resources to advance his political career. Hutchinson has denied these allegations, which emerged prior to his preselection for the upcoming election.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has defended his use of family travel entitlements, claiming $2,800 for trips coinciding with major sporting events, including the AFL grand final and the Australian Open. This revelation has prompted calls from federal politicians for a review of public spending rules regarding entitlements.

One Nation has achieved its highest-ever primary vote of 17% in the latest Guardian Essential Poll, following significant media attention surrounding Pauline Hanson’s controversial burqa stunt and Barnaby Joyce's defection from the Nationals to One Nation. This marks a notable shift in voter sentiment towards minor parties amid ongoing concerns about housing affordability and the cost of living.

A second death linked to a failure in connecting to the triple-zero emergency network has been revealed, with the communications minister Anika Wells' office misinformed about the incident for over ten weeks. TPG's CEO expressed confusion over why the company only learned of the fatality recently, just before a parliamentary inquiry into the network was scheduled to take place.

Anika Wells, the Labor communications and sports minister, has faced scrutiny over her travel expenses, claiming over $8,500 for family trips to Melbourne during AFL grand final weekends. This revelation coincided with Labor's announcement of cuts to energy bill discounts for millions of households, placing the government in a challenging position regarding public perception of its spending practices.