Name: Chris Bowen defends travel claims as solar battery push overshadowed
Uploaded: 2025-12-13T06:16:18.829Z
Duration: 1 min 47 s
Description: Energy Minister Chris Bowen has been spruiking subsidies for solar batteries, but the travel expenses scandal continues to overshadow. He has hit back at media reports that taxpayer-funded flights and accommodation were altered before the election.

Energy Minister Chris Bowen has been spruiking subsidies for solar batteries, but the travel expenses scandal continues to overshadow. He has hit back at media reports that taxpayer-funded flights and accommodation were altered before the election.

Canberra

The Australian government has introduced permanent subsidies for solar batteries as a measure to provide ongoing cost of living relief. Energy Minister Chris Bowen emphasized that the subsidy offers a one-time discount on batteries, resulting in lower energy bills in the long term.

Meanwhile, several MPs are facing scrutiny over their travel spending, with recent clarifications to taxpayer-funded travel rules coming under media attention. Attorney-General Michelle Rowland's $22,000 trip and Sports Minister Annika Wells' expenses are being reviewed, while Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has stated he will await advice from the expenses watchdog before considering further changes.

Chris Bowen defends travel claims as solar battery push overshadowed

The Energy Minister charging up subsidies for solar batteries as cost of living relief. This is permanent relief. You get your discount off your battery once and then that discount delivers you cheaper bills forever. While it's his colleague's bills for travel that continue to come under scrutiny. Chris Bowen today hit back at media reports that rules for taxpayer funded flights and accommodation were changed prior to the election. My understanding is that that change was simply a clarification of the rules to make them simpler. There was no change to what is allowed or not allowed. The new rules mean that policies, proposals and plans for activities that may be used in the context of a federal election can be claimed on the public purse. Chris Bowen denying the changes were too broad. It's part of the job to travel around the country. The changes were made under advice from Special Minister for State Don Farrell in February, less than seven weeks from when the election was called. Mr Farrell himself has faced criticism over his use of family reunion entitlements while Attorney-General Michelle Rowland's $22,000 trip to Perth will be audited by the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority. The second MP to self-refer with Sports Minister Annika Wells spending, including a family ski trip to Thredbo, under the microscope. The Prime Minister continuing to face pressure to tighten the rules around spending. So if he can make changes like that when it suits him, he can make changes now too. Anthony Albanese says that he'll wait on advice he's sought from the expenses watchdog before making a call. And as Labor continues to weather the storm, they don't want to be the only ones taking the blame. Let's not, with all due respect, pretend that Don Farrell, Annika Wells, Michelle Rowland are the only people who've used the family reunion benefit. Hannah Stewart, 10 News.

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