Under-fire Albanian Representative Anika Wells is once again under fire after she billed taxpayers nearly $1,750 for a series of short car trips in Canberra. Several trips of just a few kilometers each cost hundreds of dollars.
An audit by the Independent Parliamentary Expenditure Administration (IPEA) found that Wells billed the taxpayer-funded ride-hailing service Comcar between 2022 and 2025. Long wait times further inflated the costs.
One of the most exorbitant bills is from June 21, 2022: A trip from Parkes to Kingston, a mere 2.6 km (1.5 miles), cost $337.68—roughly $48 per minute.
In her response to the audit, Wells justified the high costs by citing the involvement of a cabinet minister and an unforeseen delay at the event location.
“This booking was for me to be picked up and taken back to my accommodation after the opening of the ‘Changemakers’ exhibition at the Museum of Australian Democracy and a meeting with representatives from my ministry and policymakers. My departure from this event was unexpectedly delayed,” she said.
She gave a similar explanation for a trip on August 29, 2022, for $291.72, which covered 4.8 km from Reid to Kingston.
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“This trip was to pick me up after a meeting with a media representative to discuss political and ministerial matters. My departure was unexpectedly delayed,” Wells told IPEA.
Another expensive trip was recorded on August 10, 2023, when a 5.4 km drive from downtown Canberra to Kingston cost $258.30. Wells explained that this booking combined several official appointments.
Anika Wells (left) billed taxpayers over $1,700 for short car trips of just a few kilometers.
“This booking involved being picked up after a welcome event for the New Zealand High Commissioner and taken to a subsequent dinner for a brief meeting with political and ministerial representatives before traveling to my accommodation,” she said.
“However, my departure from the dinner was unexpectedly delayed.”
On August 21, 2024, a trip of just 2.2 km from Capital Hill to Kingston cost $329.84, or about $54 per minute.
Wells again cited the timing of an event as the reason.
“This booking was for me to briefly attend the U.S. Embassy’s celebration of the 248th anniversary of the United States’ independence at the National Arboretum in Canberra and meet with representatives. My departure was unexpectedly delayed,” she said.
Other entries included a 2.5 km trip from Kingston to Capital Hill for $248.64 and a 6.2 km trip from Capital Hill to Pialligo for $290.82.
The same explanation appears repeatedly throughout the audit report: short trips at high fares because drivers had to wait while Wells handled official business. The IPEA notes that fares increase when drivers remain on standby.
In late 2025, following a series of controversies surrounding her spending, Wells voluntarily submitted to the IPEA for review.
The costs of Wells’ (pictured) travel had been inflated by late bookings.
The review intensified in December when it was revealed that she had billed taxpayers approximately $90,000 for a trip to New York to promote the government’s controversial social media ban.
The fallout quickly expanded to include questions about taxpayer-funded travel for Wells’ family members, further fueling criticism of her spending habits.
After a five-month investigation, the IPEA found four violations of parliamentary travel rules across multiple trips and ordered Wells to repay $10,116.
Despite these findings, a spokesperson for Wells insisted that the watchdog had cleared her.
“The independent watchdog has stated that all trips complied with the rules,” the spokesperson said.
Wells also came under pressure last month when the Daily Mail revealed that she had failed to disclose her husband’s lobbying activities during the previous parliamentary term.
In a statement, a spokesperson said, “All ministers adhere to the Prime Minister’s Code of Conduct for Ministers. The minister has provided the required information.”
