SYLVIA JEFFREYS, HOST: Well, in another backdown from the Labor government this morning, Communications Minister Anika Wells has ditched her contentious ministerial powers to determine new harms in the digital duty of care legislation. The bill will be introduced to Parliament today. And for more, we're joined by Minister Anika Wells now live from Canberra. Minister, great to see you. Thanks for your time this morning on a busy week. First up, can you confirm that you are in fact ditching your ministerial powers?

MINISTER FOR COMMUNICATIONS ANIKA WELLS: Yes, we've made a number of changes from the exposure draft, which we put out for consultation. That's the point of an exposure draft. We consult, we hear what people's views are, we hear what the stumbling blocks are. And I've made a couple of changes that remove some of those stumbling blocks in the hopes that we can get bipartisan support.

JEFFREYS: So just a few weeks ago on this program you defended those ministerial powers to designate new harms, saying it would allow parliament to move quickly in the face of new threats. So what's changed? 

WELLS: It would allow us to move quickly when Grok is nudifying photos of your child, you would want me to move as quickly as I could, and that was the intent of the power. However, it has been a clear stumbling block for other political parties. They wanted Parliament to have that scrutiny, so what will happen now is that I will bring an amendment to the Online Safety Act when I feel that we need to declare a new serious harm and the Parliament will consider it.

JEFFREYS: Okay, there'll also be a carve-out now for public interest journalists. Do you think these changes that you've floated will be enough to stop the Greens from sending the bill to a Senate inquiry or will it get kicked into next year?

WELLS: We absolutely anticipated a Senate inquiry. This is the most compelling policy question of our generation, Sylvia, and it's important that we give it all the scrutiny it deserves and I welcome any amendments that any parties want to put to make our online safety laws as strong and effective as they can be. We lead the world in this and we have always with bipartisan support and I hope we can continue that streak.

JEFFREYS: So is there any chance of this getting passed before Christmas?

WELLS: Yes.

JEFFREYS: With a Senate inquiry in place?

WELLS: Yes.

JEFFREYS: Have you been consulting with David Shoebridge on the issue?

WELLS: I've been consulting with the Greens communications spokesperson, Sarah Hanson-Young.

JEFFREYS: Okay well, David Shoebridge and the rest of the Greens want you to tie fines for big tech to a percentage of their global revenue rather than a fixed amount. Are you open to that?

WELLS: I understand that. The fines that we've proposed are linked to consumer protection law here in Australia, commensurate with what happens over at the ACCC. We will work in good faith with the Greens in order to ensure the passage of this incredibly important legislation that Australian parents and teachers are depending on through the Senate, I hope by the end of the year.

JEFFREYS: Okay well the Greens under David Shoebridge have quickly become a thorn in Labor's side, also teaming up with other senators to block your private health rebate cut overnight. Will you manage to get that back on the agenda in Parliament today?

WELLS: Yes, we will introduce that. And speaking as the former aged care minister, I cannot tell you how important it is that we better resource aged care and that we do it quickly. That is important work that we worked in a bipartisan fashion in the last parliament when I was the aged care minister to do. And I tell you, and I'm sure that we spoke about this then, I am worried we are not building beds fast enough for all the people that need aged care support. And taxpayer money is precious, we all know that. We need to move it where it is most urgently needed. And that was the point and intent of this bill.

JEFFREYS: Are you going to make changes to ensure it doesn't get blocked again in the Senate?

WELLS: That I will leave to the Health Minister and the Aged Care Minister, who is now Sam Rae, to negotiate in good faith with our Senators, because this is important and we need to do it.

JEFFREYS: Okay well let's get to this scrutiny then over your taxpayer-funded weekend in Adelaide, which has been bubbling along for a couple of weeks now. Trade Minister Don Farrell refusing to comply with a request for documents that would help to justify your near $4,000 trip. If it is all legit as you say, why can't we just see the documents?

WELLS: Well Sylvia, we have settled this with the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority five months ago. We provided all of the documents to IPEA, to the independent regulator. They confirmed everybody's documents, version of events. They were satisfied that this trip is within the rules and they released that report and all of this information is public and it was made public five months ago.

JEFFREYS: Okay, but you say everybody's documents. Don Farrell says he doesn't have the documents. Chris Picton says he doesn't have the documents about the meeting that you had at his wife's birthday party as well. You seem to be the only one who has receipts.

WELLS: Well, I've provided all the information I have to IPEA and IPEA confirmed with all parties that those things are what happened. On a trip that took several days, took lots of different things, this being one of them, IPEA was satisfied this was in the rules. IPEA made that determination five months ago. IPEA published its report, and everyone is free to read it.

JEFFREYS: Okay, just quickly, for the avoidance of doubt and any more criticism, will you refund taxpayers for this trip? 

WELLS: I referred all of my travel to IPEA, which I'm happy to do. I understand people want parliamentarians’ travel scrutinised. They reviewed than 250 trips that I'd made across the four years. There were four honest mistakes in there. I repaid those and I've tightened up processes in my office. This all happened five months ago.

JEFFREYS: Okay, busy day ahead for you Communications Minister Anika Wells with a press club address in the works as well. We appreciate your time today. Thanks for joining us.