Albanese, Political Leaders Under the Spotlight for Free Flight Upgrades

A photo taken on June 26, 2024 shows the vertical stabiliser of a Qantas Boeing 737-800 aircraft painted in heritage livery (background C) seen past other Qantas planes parked at a terminal at Melbourne's Tullamarine Airport. William West/AFP via Getty Images

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is facing pressure for receiving at least 22 free Qantas flight upgrades over the past decade while in the role as transport minister.

While serving as transport minister from 2009 to 2013, Albanese reportedly received upgrades from economy to business class on personal trips to Europe, Los Angeles, and Honolulu, all of which he declared in his official register of interests.

However, Albanese’s then-wife and MP, Carmel Tebbutt, also received thousands of dollars in business upgrades, despite regulations saying these benefits for spouses and dependent children “should be notified,” according to “The Chairman’s Lounge,” by the Australian Financial Review’s Joe Aston.

Albanese did not respond to inquiries regarding whether he believed these upgrades should have been declared or if other family members received similar benefits.

It is also alleged Albanese liaised directly with former Qantas CEO Alan Joyce about the travel upgrades.

A spokesperson for the prime minister did say that, “This is all a matter of public record; both made relevant disclosures in their parliaments.”

The issue has come to light just two weeks after Albanese faced scrutiny for deciding to purchase a $4.3 million home in Copacabana, New South Wales, while his government grapples with inflation and a cost of living crisis.

Albanese’s Response

“From time to time, members of parliament receive upgrades. What’s important is that they are declared. All of mine have been declared,” Albanese told reporters on Oct. 27.

“I note that a range of them go back a long, a long period of time [and] that they have all been declared as appropriate.”

Minister for Employment Murray Watt dismissed the allegations as “unsourced rumours.”

He urged the public to consider the prime minister’s record with Qantas, highlighting the prime minister’s commitment to holding airlines accountable for their actions.

“When he was the transport minister more than a decade ago, when Qantas grounded their fleet and went after unions, Anthony Albanese took Qantas on about that,” Watt said.

Opposition Weigh In

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has raised concerns about what he termed “strange arrangements.”

“If you are the transport minister and you are picking up the phone to one of the most important stakeholders in your portfolio, asking for a free upgrade … I am not aware of anyone else having done it,” Dutton stated.

He noted that he himself has enjoyed 15 complimentary upgrades since entering parliament in 2001, emphasising that none occurred during his tenure as transport minister, nor as a result of personal requests to Qantas.

Opposition Transport Minister Bridget McKenzie demanded greater transparency, calling for a detailed log of all Qantas upgrades received by Albanese and his family.

“The Australian public needs to be told exactly how many private and public upgrades were provided and their total value,” she stated.

She said that to the best of her knowledge, she has solicited a free flight from Qantas or any other airline.