Missing in action: Matildas superfan Anika Wells a no-show at Asian Cup

At some point this year, Communications and Sports Minister Anika Wells will have to show her face at a major sporting event after spending the summer in the Australian Labor Party’s witness protection program following her role in last year’s expenses saga.

Heading into last weekend, we were half expecting Wells to make her grand return to the circuit for the Matildas’ first game in the Women’s Asian Cup, which kicked off in Perth on Sunday. But Wells, a massive Tillies fan who decked out her office in team paraphernalia throughout the Women’s World Cup, was a surprising no-show.

When we reached Wells’ office on Wednesday to ask about her absence, we were told there was simply no way the minister would be able to get to the game and be back in time for Parliament’s return on Monday. Fair enough! It’s a more than 10-hour return trip, after all.

But what about Thursday night’s game, when the Matildas take on Iran on the Gold Coast, in Wells’ home state? Suffice to say the minister’s office grew tired of our line of inquiry – and that’s before we could even get to asking about the Melbourne Grand Prix due to roar off this weekend.

Wells’ ongoing absences from the nation’s biggest summer sporting events has been the subject of low-level chatter in Canberra over the past three months. Of course, it hasn’t escaped the attention of the opposition either.

Whichever way you cut it, Wells’ next move is tough. It could be argued that hiding out would be the best way to avoid drawing more heat after she came under fire last December following revelations the minister travelled to New York with two staffers to take a victory lap on Labor’s social media ban, at a cost of $100,000.

Far be it from us, though, to pass up the opportunity to point out the minister’s use of travel entitlements has – and we’re being generous here – demonstrated poor judgment, even if she hasn’t broken any rules. At the end of the day, it’s the minister’s job to rub elbows with key sporting administrators and show up in support of the nation’s biggest sporting events.

Bring your husband along for the ride? At a stretch, sure. It’s a tough job that keeps MPs away from their families for long periods of time. But does the Comcar really need to sit idle outside a venue for seven hours? Or should you spend $100,000 on flights? Er, maybe not.

Corporate raider cops $4.7m Italian asset freeze

Corporate raider and shareholder activist Nick Bolton has had a tough 12 months.

Nearly a year ago to the day, Bolton was turfed from the board of Keybridge Capital, the ASX-listed investment vehicle he had control of for years. The move elevated his arch rival Geoff Wilson, with whom he’s been feuding for the past decade, along with Bolton’s ally-turned-enemy, former Domain CEO Antony Catalano.

In late 2024, the NSW Supreme Court made freezing orders over Bolton’s assets in Australia, after Keybridge loaned close to $5 million to an entity in Italy associated with Bolton. And now it looks like Wilson has managed to extend the legal offensive to Italy as well.

Keybridge Capital told the market on Tuesday that it was “pleased to advise” that the Milanese Court has granted asset freezing orders – sequestro conservativo in the mother tongue – over Bolton’s Italian assets, up to the amount of $4.7 million.

In particular, the orders relate to an entity called Crotto del Nino, which holds title to a waterfront villa on Lake Como worth about $20 million. Keybridge didn’t respond to a request for comment.

The Italian orders will be in place until there’s an outcome on the fight launched against Bolton in the NSW Supreme Court, which has been led by Wilson’s fund, Wilson Asset Management, on behalf of Keybridge.

As far as niche corporate skirmishes go, the Bolton v Wilson saga has already been rich with belly laughs. But even we didn’t expect the fight to go intercontinental. We can only guess Bolton will be looking to spend the European summer lakeside. But we can’t help but wonder how many of them he has left.

Julie Bishop takes to the high seas

Few creatures of Canberra have taken to life after politics quite like the glamorous former foreign minister Julie Bishop, who, along with her duties as ANU Chancellor, has become an occasional red carpet favourite and a sought-after talent on the speaking circuit.

This week, Bishop’s extracurriculars extended to the high seas, where guests aboard the Queen Mary 2, bound for Sydney, were treated to a presentation of her greatest hits in a keynote address on the vessel’s Royal Court Theatre, according to a copy of the program seen by CBD.

“In an era of unprecedented geopolitical turbulence, marked by intensifying strategic rivalry, war in Europe, and growing strain on global alliances, Julie Bishop brings an entertaining, first-hand insight from the centre of international decision-making,” read the logline.

One CBD spy in attendance said Bishop touched on her interactions with Russian President Vladimir Putin, recalled running faster than former UK prime minister Boris Johnson in London, and spoke of the importance of wearing the colour red. Of course, we were dying to hear more, but when we tried to reach Bishop by phone and text over the past couple of days, we didn’t hear back. We don’t blame her.