WA Senator Fatima Payman has recorded almost $120,000 in taxpayer-funded family travel since 2022, placing her among the highest-spending parliamentarians for these entitlements, according to new disclosures from the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority (IPEA).

IPEA records show Payman claimed $119,790 for family members to accompany her on parliamentary travel between Q3 2022 and Q3 2025, Sky News has reported. The figure exceeds the amount spent by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese over the same period, despite Payman holding no ministerial role.

Only Andrew Willcox, who sits in the Coalition frontbench and has served on several Northern Australia committees, recorded higher family travel costs.

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Much of Payman’s spending centred on the Perth–Canberra route, with 41 claims lodged across the three-year period. These included multiple flights costing more than $2,000 and return fares frequently in the $1,200–$2,100 range.

Family travel was also claimed for trips to Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Gold Coast, Karratha, Geraldton, Kalgoorlie-Boulder, Broome and Kununurra.

The records list 15 refunds or reversals, including negative entries for travel involving Perth, Canberra, Sydney and Melbourne. Payman’s family travel entitlements covered comcars, hire cars and commercial flights.

Payman hasn’t been an ALP senator for a long time? But these are extraordinary numbers. https://t.co/9f51HVVOYK pic.twitter.com/aCo2Ol1qoU

— Ms Mountebank (@MsMountebank) December 9, 2025

Under IPEA rules, “family” may include a spouse or nominee, children or other relatives nominated by the parliamentarian. The authority also requires politicians to “act ethically and in good faith” and ensure “value for money”, noting they “should consider how the public would perceive their use of these resources for travel in particular circumstances”.

A spokesperson for Payman told Sky News that “the majority of the family travel since she left the party has been her husband accompanying her to Canberra and to regional Western Australia for electorate duties, none of which were for ski trips or sporting events”.

The spokesperson added: “The Senator’s husband has been a helping hand without taking a wage, given the Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Special Minister of State Don Farrell refuse Senator Payman the personal staff afforded to other crossbench Senators, including One Nation. This means Senator Payman’s office is saving the taxpayer between $150,000 and $250,000 a year more than any other crossbencher.”

Payman is also sloshing around in the trough.
WA Senator Fatima Payman bills taxpayers $120k in family travel entitlements https://t.co/0QxGQhcQDm pic.twitter.com/7vJJd1oiSy

— Jack The Aussie (@hammerofleft) December 9, 2025

The revelations come amid heightened attention on politicians’ travel spending, following Communications Minister Anika Wells’ nearly $100,000 bill for flights to New York with two staff for a three-day summit. “I absolutely appreciate that people have a gut reaction to these figures,” Wells said, adding, “I don't resile from that, and that's why I agree that entitlements should be scrutinised. I'm happy for mine to be scrutinised. At the end of the day, I don't write these rules. I must follow these rules. These are independent rules they make at length from parliamentarians.”

Albanese defended Wells’ costs on ABC’s Insiders, saying the expenses were “completely within the rules”.