Shadow transport minister Bridget McKenzie to declare more than a dozen undisclosed flight upgrades

Shadow transport minister Bridget McKenzie failed to declare more than a dozen flight upgrades over the 14 years she has been in office.

The Nationals senator last week asked Qantas, Virgin and Rex to audit her flight records 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 and Senator McKenzie is expected to make a statement later on Wednesday once her office has checked what had and had not been declared previously.

It is believed she received more than a dozen upgrades over the years that may not have been declared, a source familiar with the matter said.

They argued that under Senate rules, Senator McKenzie had 28 days from the receipt of new information to update her disclosure register, but said that was likely to happen sooner rather than later.

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.