Barnaby blows up over Labor MP's spending

Barnaby Joyce has ripped into Labor politician Anika Wells over billing taxpayers $1750 for dinner and drinks during a work trip to Paris.

The Sports and Communications minister came under fire last week amid revelations she claimed over $100,000 on flights and accommodation for a three-day work trip to New York.

Figures released in Senate estimates last week showed Ms Wells also flew to the French capital three times within 12 months ahead of the Olympic Games at a cost of $116,000.

During one of those trips, she claimed $1000 on a dinner for four people followed by $750 on drinks at a second venue hours later that night.

Other spendings released were a $3600 work trip to Adelaide where she also attended a birthday party of a friend and adviser to former PM Julia Gillard, $3000 to fly her family to Thredbo ski resort during a work event and $1800 to attend the Australian F1 Grand Prix.

Speaking to Sunrise on Monday morning, Mr Joyce said he was stunned to find out Ms Wells had billed taxpayers $1750 for dinner and drinks during one trip to Paris.

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"What people have a problem with is when you go to dinner and charge the taxpayer $1000 for dinner ... this is a total trainwreck at high speed off a high cliff," he said.

"And there seems to be no sort of connection between the money she's spending and the job she's doing. No one denies the job, and I don't even deny how she flies over to be honest.

"But it's when you get there and start spending money on this dinner and that dinner and going to the snow ... it all adds up.

"It's no longer a question for Anika. Everybody's made their mind up about that. She's done the wrong thing. It's a question for the Prime Minister whether he says, 'I agree with her doing the wrong thing', so it's really over to him."

Mr Joyce questioned whether any ordinary Aussie would be allowed to use their boss' credit card to rack up