4 November 2024

Backtracking Coalition hits turbulence in attack on PM over free flight upgrades

| Chris Johnson
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a woman giving a press conference at an airport

Bridget McKenzie at Albury Airport in August 2023. Photo: Bridget McKenzie Instagram.

The issue of upgrades and free flights has now engulfed both sides of politics, with the Coalition having to explain some of its travel arrangements after going hard against Anthony Albanese all week.

The Prime Minister was forced to fend off accusations he used his influence and friendship with Alan Joyce to gain almost two dozen free and upgraded Qantas flights.

In the days when Mr Joyce was the airline’s boss and the Prime Minister was the transport minister (and then the Opposition leader), at least 22 flights were upgraded for Mr Albanese from economy, according to a new book by Joe Aston.

The book claims Mr Albanese initiated calls with Mr Joyce, although the PM has denied that.

Once the news broke, Shadow Transport Minister Bridget McKenzie was one of the Prime Minister’s harshest critics over the matter.

She has threatened to have Mr Joyce hauled before a Senate inquiry to answer the claims over Mr Albanese soliciting flight upgrades.

“We really do need to understand the influence that the Prime Minister’s personal and financial gain through these upgrades for he and his family have had on his personal intervention in protecting Qantas from competition,” Senator McKenzie said early in the week.

READ ALSO ‘Upgrade’ Albo shoots the messenger as Qantas claims take off

But by Friday (1 November), the Nationals senator had to backpedal somewhat over statements she made about her own travel declarations.

While initially insisting she had never received an upgrade, Senator McKenzie told ABC Radio she actually had and was wrong to have said she hadn’t.

“I think it was wrong of me to be so emphatic earlier this week,” she said.

“I don’t probably believe I should be subjecting other people to standards I’m not prepared to subject myself to.”

She has now instigated an audit of her travel to determine how many more upgrades she has received.

“The difference between myself and the Prime Minister is that the Prime Minister was the minister for transport,” she added.

“He was actually in charge of regulating the aviation sector.”

The Shadow Minister also found herself defending Opposition Leader Peter Dutton over his travel on billionaire mining magnate Gina Rinehart’s private jet.

The PM made reference to Mr Dutton’s private travel arrangements earlier in the week when defending his own.

“I’ve been completely transparent about this,” the PM said on Tuesday.

“Just as Peter Dutton declared his flights or some of his flights, there is a difference between both of us,” Mr Abanese said.

“My flights were commercial with Qantas or Virgin or Emirates. They were all declared in the appropriate way.

“I didn’t have to declare any flights on private jets owned by billionaires like Gina Rinehart, because I haven’t engaged in it, as simple as that.

“I have always acted in an open and transparent way.

“In my time in public life, I have acted with integrity, acted in a way that is entirely appropriate, and I have declared in accordance with the rules.”

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Mr Dutton has to back down himself after denying his office had asked Ms Rinehart for use of her private jet so he could attend a Bali bombing memorial service in Sydney.

He has subsequently changed his story.

Asked about that during her radio interview, Senator McKenzie tried to play it down.

“I don’t think we need to always think that people assisting has a quid pro quo,” she said.

“And that’s why it’s important to have public declarations and important to look at behaviour.”

Education Minister Jason Clare has admitted he asked for and received a free flight upgrade from Qantas for personal international travel overseas in 2019.

He said he made the request after having surgery to remove a melanoma, but had declared it in his pecuniary interests at the time.

“Good pick-up, that was a personal trip,” Mr Clare said when asked about it during Sky News interview.

“That was a situation where I had just got out of hospital, I had surgery on my leg and, yep, I asked for an upgrade and I was assisted by Qantas.”

During an earlier interview on Channel Seven, the Minister said the vital thing was to declare any upgrades or free flights.

‘The bottom line is where it happens, declare it, fill out a form, make sure that the whole world can see about it,” he said.

All federal parliamentarians are required to continually update a register of interests of gifts and anything else that could constitute a conflict of interest.

They must make the declarations within 28 days of receiving the gifts.

There are now calls, from the Centre for Public Integrity as well as insiders from both sides of politics, for a thorough overhaul of the relationship between airlines and politicians.

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What started this was Albo allegedly asking for upgrades for personal flights and even Chairman membership for his son. Thats where the smell is. The fact that every Federal politician is offered membership across the board means it isn’t a bad thing to accept membership if it is disclosed. Just don’t ask for upgrades or your family to benefit. Politicians would fly more than the average person so having access to a lounge is hardly excessive. Every Public Servant flying more than 3 hours is entitled to Business Class airfares and the accompanying lounge access.

Heywood Smith3:49 pm 05 Nov 24

Gotta love how pollies can misuse public monies and get a slap on the wrist, however if you were an APS Employee (APS or EL), you’d already be out of a job and likely heading to court to get yourself a criminal record. .

@Heywood Smith
Really? So you know of APS staff who have received a free upgrade and suffered the ‘wrath of the gods’ do you? Because I know APS friends who’ve been ‘thus smiled upon’ and are still employed.

It’s a seat change FFS … should the same apply when you are asked if you would move to an exit row, by cabin crew “to assist them”?

I’ve mentioned this in other forums, but to be clear not many pollies outside of backbenchers and the crossbenchers would have any clue what upgrades they’d received. Ministers and shadows will generally have a staff member acting as the travel coordinator with another staffer allocated to assist. When there’s international involved it can get a bit hectic as Departments will often provide dedicated phones and devices for use by ministers and some staff, but most of that work is done by the agency staff providing the services.
Qantas and Virgin have parliamentary liaison or dedicated Chairman’s Lounge staff for MPs and Senators to contact should the need arise, but most upgrades are performed in the cabin of the plane or at the boarding gate. All cabin crew are expected to familiarise themselves with the manifest and know when the symbol appears next to somebody’s name what level of service can be offered. If a forward seat is left vacant it won’t be the fault of the cabin crew because they are well drilled in making sure everyone who can be offered an upgrade is offered it. I’ve watched it a hundred times from the comfort of my mid cabin exit point seats over many years.
As much as I’d like to bash a few of them, the sad reality is most of them won’t have the faintest idea until the upgrade has happened. Jason Clare’s case isn’t isolated either. I’ve seen quite a few people with injuries or restrictions upgraded to avoid unnecessary and often painful contact with other patrons during flights; it’s just not that big of an issue.
Dutton’s use of Gina’s private jet is a matter for him to deal with. Once you’ve been branded by her, that’s a stain that doesn’t fade quickly. Given the relationship she has with her own children, I’d be giving her the widest berth possible, pardon the pun!

Capital Retro3:17 pm 07 Nov 24

No, most of the long flights and overseas holiday “upgrades” are arranged well before arriving at the gate of in cabin as there are other benefits that go with an upgrade like extra-generous baggage allowances, access to club lounges etc.
You can even get a free private bed and shower at most international airports halfway to Europe.
It’s a rort.
By the way, nice smear of Gina.

Fancy Bridget McKenzie sticking her head up as the opposition head kicker to go after the government for allegedly rorting.

Ms McKenzie is the same person who brought pork barrelling to national prominence by using her ministerial discretion when in government to favour marginal electorates to the tune of $100 million for the allocation of grants in the lead up to the 2019 election. The “Sports Rorts Affair” as it became known was followed by an audit investigation which confirmed her misdeeds and its final report scathing of her actions, with widespread demands for her to resign. Unfortunately she is still there, five years on!

A further investigation was commissioned at the time by then PM Scott Morrison and undertaken by the Secretary of PM&C who was a close ally and friend of the leader.

Unsurprisingly the investigation and report (known as the Gaetjens report) found no evidence of wrongdoing.

How soon people forget!

When I was working at Parliament House in the 1990s, there was yet another travel rort being uncovered. At the time, all travel expenses were thoroughly investigated. The conclusion? A few pollies were lily-white (mostly Democrats, if you remember them), a few were black as the ace of spades and were required to make repayments, and almost all were some shade of grey.

Fudging of travel entitlements have been going on forever, and for one side to start accusing the other of rorts will only end in tears for everyone that gets involved. Bridget and Dutton were foolish to even start this little caper, as friendly fire was absolutely inevitable.

When pollies attack other pollies over perks, they’ve just made a critical error in judgement

Some politicians are just not very smart, do they not so any self-analysis before making accusations like this? Like it or not, there is a case for a PM or senior official being separated for safety and confidentiality reasons on commercial flights, the question is why they were not paying for business class anyway? As for Dutton, pro-mining stooge taking far more expensive travel from a mining magnate should raise ethical questions….but it doesn’t in Australia where a significant number of politicans wear their shamelessness as a badge of honour and actually seem affronted when confronted. The lack of integrity is built into the system, it’s all about not getting caught.

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