has been accused of directly asking former Qantas CEO Alan Joyce for free, undisclosed flight upgrades.
The allegation has been detailed in a new book by former Australian Financial Review (AFR) columnist Joe Aston.
The Opposition has said it will consider setting up a Senate Inquiry into the matter.
The Prime Minister has suggested the claims come from a “person who is trying to sell a book”.
Claims
Over the weekend, Nine newspapersfrom Aston’s new book ‘The Chairman’s Lounge’.
It revealed Anthony Albanese received more than 20 flight upgrades between 2009 and 2019. Family members accompanied him on some of these trips, many of which were personal.
The book, citing anonymous Qantas insiders, claims Albanese asked Joyce “directly” to upgrade his flights when he was Transport and Shadow Transport Minister. Aston described Albanese as a political “asset” for Qantas.
Albanese has previously declared his own personal flights and his membership to the Qantas Chairman’s Lounge (a VIP area). All MPs and Senators are offered access.
However, in the excerpt, Aston suggests Albanese largely failed to declare his family members’ travels and flight upgrades.
He also claims Albanese did not declare efforts to get his son, Nathan, a membership to the Chairman’s Lounge shortly after he became PM (which Aston first revealed in his column in 2023).
Opposition
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Opposition Leader Peter Dutton called it a “bit strange” that Albanese allegedly asked the ex-Qantas boss to upgrade his flights.
“It’s a strange arrangement when you can pick the phone up to the CEO and ask, as a transport minister, for an upgrade for your arrangements.”
Dutton admitted he had also benefited from flight upgrades since being elected to Parliament in 2001, which he said have also been declared.
The Coalition’s transport spokesperson, Senator Bridget McKenzie, told reporters the Senate should set up an inquiry into the reported flight upgrades.
“There are serious questions which only Mr Joyce and the Prime Minister can answer,” she said.
McKenzie had claimed she hadn’t received aupgrade.
However, she issued a statement later in the day confirming she had previously received an upgrade and publicly declared it.
Albanese
Albanese and senior Labor Ministers have defended the upgrades. The PM said he’d publicly declared “everything”. He said he had “direct discussions” with Joyce over two official flights.
Responding to questions about his son Nathan’s Chairman’s Lounge membership, the PM said that Nathan became his “plus one” after his divorce in 2019.
Aston criticised this reasoning, telling the AFR that while the PM has a new “plus one,” (his fiancée Jodie Haydon) his son still has access to the Chairman’s Lounge.
