Qantas saga: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese can’t rule out staff asked for upgrades

Curtin MP Kate Chaney and other independents will hand back their exclusive Qantas lounge memberships amid calls for airlines to stop offering free upgrades to Federal politicians.

The move came as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese could not rule out the possibility that one of his staff members contacted Qantas to request flight upgrades, as the political storm over airline perks drags into a second week.

Mr Albanese last week explicitly rejected bombshell claims in a new book that he personally called former Qantas boss Alan Joyce to request flight upgrades before becoming prime minister.

Asked on Monday if a staff member in his office had done so on his behalf, he said: “Not to my knowledge.”

Mr Albanese confirmed that he had accepted one flight upgrade a year since being elected to Federal Parliament in 1996.

He played down the number as he insisted the gifts had always been declared.

“Everything has been declared, and I’ve had no upgrades as Prime minister,” he told ABC AM.

“But one a year, around about, for every year that I’ve been in office, and that is less than many of my parliamentary colleagues.”

Ms Chaney and fellow independents Allegra Spender and Helen Haines announced on Monday that they would relinquish membership to the invitation-only Qantas Chairman’s Lounge — a perk offered to all Federal MPs and senior bureaucrats.

“I have relinquished my membership because of any perceived conflict of interest,” she said. “The public needs to know politicians are acting in the public interest.”

Ms Spender, who represents the Sydney-based seat of Wentworth, said the “special treatment” of politicians by Qantas and Virgin had undermined public trust in the regulation of the airline industry.

As well as cancelling her Qantas and Virgin VIP lounge membership, Ms Spender said she would write to the airlines to request they stop gifting free upgrades to MPs and Senators.

“The best way to restore public trust is to simply end the upgrades,” she said.

Nationals MP Llew O’Brien has also handed back Qantas Chairman’s Lounge and Virgin Club Lounge membership for himself and his wife.

The West has contacted Mr O’Brien for comment.

Greens leader Adam Bandt indicated that neither he nor his colleagues would follow suit.

Mr Bandt argued the Greens’ criticisms of Qantas was evidence that it wasn’t influenced by their membership of the Chairman’s Lounge.

The Qantas flights saga will be a major focus of Senate estimates this week, with politicians and senior bureaucrats to be grilled on the upgrades.

The Coalition will also put the spotlight on Mr Albanese’s relationship with Qantas, in particular Mr Joyce, and whether it influenced the Government’s decision to block Qatar Airways’ application for more flights.

In a hearing on Monday morning, Shadow transport minister Bridget McKenzie pushed assistant minister Anthony Chisholm on whether accepting flight upgrades breached the ministerial code of conduct.

The code, which Mr Albanese toughened-up after the election, states that ministers must not seek or encourage gifts in their personal capacity.

They must also not seek or accept “a kind of benefit or other valuable consideration” in connection with performing their official duties.

“Do you agree that accepting flights, upgrades or gifts as Minister for Transport for private benefit is a breach of the code?” Senator McKenzie asked.

“It is not really for me to judge, Senator McKenzie,” Senator Chisholm responded. “It is a matter for PM & C.”