Today Show - 10 December 2025

Melissa McIntosh MP

Shadow Minister for Communications
Shadow Minister for Women
Federal Member for Lindsay

Wednesday, 10 December 2025

Transcript

Today Show

Topic: Social media ban; Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Communications Minister Anika Wells’ travel expenses; Parliamentary entitlements.

Sylvia Jeffries

Welcome back to Today. From Facebook to Instagram and Snapchat, as we go to air this morning hundreds of thousands of Aussie kids are waking up locked out of their social media accounts. Joining us to discuss today's headlines is Shadow Communications Minister Melissa McIntosh and Chief Political Correspondent for Nine Papers, Paul Sakkal. Melissa, I'll go to you first. Thanks for your time today. Big day for the Labor government. Do you welcome this ban today?

Melissa McIntosh

I welcome the intent of protecting kids online, certainly. I've been a bit strong on ensuring the government does the right thing by Australian kids. I've seen a lot of gaps in their rollout of the ban, but as you said, it is today. I know that there'll be a lot of stressed parents, families, kids out there, so I hope that the government has also put some investment into mental health support for young people who might be struggling over this period that is going to be so essential for them. And for me, next it'll be what constitutes success? I want the government now to ensure this is successful for Australian children. And, you know, we'll be keeping a close eye on it. But as you said, it's today and it's happening. Now it's up to the government to do the right thing.

Sylvia Jeffries

Well, Paul, it is a world-leading ban. The eyes of the globe and of leaders right around the world are watching this and how it all plays out. Do you see this as a win for the PM and the Labor government?

Paul Sakkal

Yeah, it is worth taking a step back, Sylvia, and just thinking about how momentous this is. It's easy to get in the weeds and wonder whether it will work and which apps will and won't be included, but you're totally right to say the world is watching. And worth just remembering the genesis of this. Jonathan Haidt, the social psychologist who wrote An Anxious Generation, a book which created a huge level of momentum around this, compared the social media generation to an experiment in human history where we effectively made Gen Z go and live their childhood in Mars with this new technology that totally changed the way childhood worked. And Australia looked at it and said, no, I don't think that's the best way to go about it. And Peter Dutton was the first person to propose it despite Melissa emphasising the downsides of how this might roll out. And you're right, the EU's watching, America's watching, countries in Asia are watching, and it is a big deal today.

Sylvia Jeffries

It's a universal issue, and you're right to say this is a momentous day. This ban is world leading. But despite that, a lot of what has been happening this week and what is happening today has been overshadowed by Annika Wells' parliamentary expenses scandal. Paul, the PM is going to be here on the show first up just after 8 o'clock this morning. We just spoke to the eSafety Commissioner as well, Julie Inman Grant. No sign of Anika Wells today. This is her signature policy as Communications Minister.

Paul Sakkal

Well, Anika Wells used to do this segment back in the day, but you're right; I think she has been laying low this week. She was papped at an airport last night, probably flying from Brisbane to Sydney. It's been a terribly messy week for the government. There's now mud being thrown on all sides of the political divide. Anika Wells didn't handle it as well as you'd expect she would have in terms of owning up immediately and trying to cauterise the issue. But after a few days of pressure, she did that yesterday probably to create space for the social media issue to be discussed today. But we'll see how open and available she is today. It'll be fascinating.

Sylvia Jeffries

It's clearly not an issue that is exclusive to Anika Wells. There's more in the paper today about the Greens, about the PM, about members of the Coalition as well. Melissa, do you think the rules around family entitlements, family reunion entitlements, need to change?

Melissa McIntosh

Yeah, I'm quite happy that Anika is hiding at the moment from the media. A lot of politicians are right now, so I'm very comfortable to talk on this issue. I think possibly it could be dropped. I think their public expectations of politicians have changed over the years and we do all want to be with our families, me included. I have three children. But if we don't drop this, then we need to really restrict it. Anika, Paul's saying she had a tough week. Well, she should. She's been to multiple events. She's been overseas on $100,000 flights, $70,000 events, $1,000 for a dinner that she's declared she fell asleep during. And then on top of that, she left a comcar waiting for seven hours while she was at the tennis that cost over $1,000. These are just a few of the things. I think it would take up the whole segment if I listed all of them. So, this is not just family reunion. This is rorting the system.

Sylvia Jeffries

Well, this is the question here. What are your own expenses, Melissa?

Melissa McIntosh

And I've been very happy to declare that. And that's why I said to you, maybe now it is time we do drop this what I see as a privilege, because we are accountable to the Australian people and the feedback that everyone, I believe, is getting.

Sylvia Jeffries

A lot of Australians don't begrudge politicians for wanting to spend time with their families, and they deserve to do so. It's when it appears as though politicians are milking the system that voters get upset. Is that what's going on? Are people milking the system?

Melissa McIntosh

I think the boundaries are so broad, is what the issue has been, what constitutes family reunion. So even a tightening of that, if we can't do that, then we should actually be looking at potentially dropping it. But if that's not on the cards, if my colleagues and politicians across the aisle don't approve of that, something needs to be done. And do you know what? This starts at the top. This starts with the Prime Minister. As you said, he's accountable to his own expenses. I hope you line him up today and ask him to justify those as well. He needs to show leadership on this issue over his cabinet first and foremost, over his ministers and over the parliament.

Sylvia Jeffries

Paul, your thoughts on that?

Paul Sakkal

Well, Melissa, I do note that you used the travel expense also on a weekend when you attended a family event with your son.

Melissa McIntosh

Yes.

Paul Sakkal

So it's a widespread thing and I think you're right, you've picked up public sentiment on it that people do think this is a bit of a joke. I do wonder also, Melissa, do you agree with your colleagues that Anika Wells should step down while her travel expenses are being audited?

Melissa McIntosh

I think the Prime Minister needs to step up, actually, and he’s the one who needs to declare whether she's fit for purpose in his Cabinet as a senior member of his team right now. This is not just one, two or three, or even four. This is multiple over a number of years, and she's not the only one. So that's potentially why he hasn't asked her to step down because he's got to justify his own expenses as well. We're talking about concerts here. Big concerts, big events, award shows. It's not just going to spend time with your kids.

Sylvia Jeffries

Yours was a judo championship, Melissa.

Melissa McIntosh

Well, with my son and I can talk to you if you'd like to talk about that, I was going to Queensland, I cleared it with IPEA in the first place. I've gone through that process that Anika is going through now he just been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. I wanted him with me, I'm glad he was able to compete afterwards, and I paid for his flight home.

Sylvia Jeffries

All right, well look we appreciate you both joining us this morning. Have a great day and we'll chat to you again soon.

[ENDS]