Shadow transport minister Bridget McKenzie declares 16 undisclosed flight upgrades

Shadow transport minister Bridget McKenzie has declared 16 previously undisclosed flight upgrades she received from Qantas and Virgin dating back to 2015, including for personal travel to New Zealand.

The Nationals senator has apologised to the Australian public for her oversight in not declaring the gifts.

She asked Qantas, Virgin and Rex to audit her flight records last week to check whether she had received any upgrades amid scrutiny of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s travel history.

The chief executives wrote back to her on Tuesday with the information.

Late on Wednesday, she updated her register of interests with three upgrades on domestic Qantas flights in 2023 and 2024 “due to my frequent flyer status”, five on Qantas flights to New Zealand for personal travel in 2016 and 2018, and one more on a Qantas domestic flight in 2015.

She also declared seven upgrades “within membership of Virgin ‘The Club’ allocation” between 2015 and 2019.

But Senator McKenzie said she had never sought free upgrades and the airlines had affirmed that “to the extent of their records”.

However, her update could be seen as a breach of parliamentary rules which require sponsored travel or hospitality including flight upgrades to be declared within 28 days.

“Deficiencies in disclosing these matters do not meet the expectations of the Australian people and the Parliament and were an oversight on my part, and for this I apologise,” Senator McKenzie said in a statement.

“I have and will continue to prosecute the Albanese Labor Government’s failure to ensure greater competition in the aviation sector on behalf of all Australian travellers.”

At the start of last week, Senator McKenzie said on television she had never been upgraded.

But after searches of her disclosure register showed she had declared a Qantas flight upgrade in November 2018, she asked for the travel audit.

By the end of the week, she was saying she had been wrong to be so definitive about her records.

Politicians’ travel has come under close scrutiny after a new book revealed Mr Albanese had received at least 22 upgrades from Qantas on work and personal flights, including while he was transport minister.

Shadow treasurer Angus Taylor defended his colleague, saying Senator McKenzie’s situation was different from the accusations levelled at Mr Albanese.

“I think any upgrade, like any benefit given to a politician needs to be declared … they’re the rules,” he told ABC Radio National.

“If there’s been an error on that, then it should be corrected.

“But that’s completely different from a circumstance where the minister responsible for this area reaches out, either directly or through their office, to lobby for an upgrade for personal use.”

Mr Albanese has denied ever asking personally to be upgraded, and earlier this week said “not to my knowledge” had his staff sought them on his behalf.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton subsequently faced questions about his office’s request for Gina Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting for two flights, including a return trip from regional Queensland to Sydney worth at least $40,000.