At the least 90% of federal politicians have declared taking on invites to affix the unique Qantas Chairman’s Lounge and dozens additionally acquired flight upgrades, costly items or hospitality from the nationwide provider.
Evaluation of the parliament’s register of pecuniary pursuits reveals at the very least 209 politicians have declared their membership of the unique Qantas lounge – what the airline’s former CEO Alan Joyce reportedly described as “the most exclusive club in the country”. There are 227 members and senators within the forty seventh parliament.
The luxurious lounge entry offers politicians and different highly effective figures a non-public membership at airports, typically providing showers, effective meals and cozy amenities. Invites are additionally prolonged to high-powered public servants main main authorities departments, in addition to enterprise leaders and different celebrities.
Membership to the Chairman’s Lounge and Virgin’s equal, Past Lounge – solely accessible by invitation on the discretion of the airline – is known to be prolonged to all federal members and senators as a matter after all. Most members additionally disclose Virgin lounge entry.
Whereas a small variety of politicians have rejected or cancelled their membership to the lounge, the rising scrutiny on allegations that the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, repeatedly requested flight upgrades immediately from Joyce has solid consideration on the perks Qantas has prolonged to elected officers throughout parliament.
Politicians who declared their Chairman’s Lounge membership embody Albanese, the opposition chief, Peter Dutton, Greens chief, Adam Bandt, overseas minister, Penny Wong, Nationals chief, David Littleproud, treasurer, Jim Chalmers, deputy Liberal chief, Sussan Ley, deputy prime minister, Richard Marles, Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Younger and Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce.
Some politicians have declined the invitation, or taken it up after which later cancelled their membership. Labor’s Tony Sheldon, Greens politicians together with Max Chandler-Mather and Liberals Melissa McIntosh and Michaelia Money haven’t declared accepting the lounge entry; whereas Greens members Stephen Bates, Elizabeth Watson-Brown and Barbara Pocock, and independents David Pocock and Monique Ryan, all initially declared lounge membership, then declared they’d cancelled their very own entry.
Quite a few politicians have additionally declared their partner as having acquired Chairman’s Lounge membership, together with Bandt, Marles, Chalmers, Littleproud, Anne Aly, Bridget Archer, Tony Burke, Jason Wooden, Karen Andrews, Andrew Hastie and Michael Sukkar.
Albanese mentioned on Sunday that “people get a plus one” in response to questions on studies from the previous Australian Monetary Evaluate journalist Joe Aston that the prime minister’s son, Nathan, additionally loved lounge entry.
In October 2022, Albanese disclosed a complimentary Qantas Chairman’s Lounge membership for “spouse” – his accomplice, Jodie Haydon. It’s understood that Haydon has been prolonged membership in her personal proper, not solely as Albanese’s “plus one”.
Albanese has come below hearth over allegations made in a e book by Aston that he immediately requested flight upgrades from Alan Joyce.
Quite a few politicians report receiving flight upgrades whereas flying, as do some bizarre Australians. In a Dawn interview on Monday, Barnaby Joyce claimed that “a lot of politicians get upgrades, me included. It’s whether you solicit it … especially if you ring up Alan Joyce. That’s the issue.”
Within the time period of this parliament, since Might 2022, greater than a dozen politicians have reported receiving Qantas flight upgrades. Dutton disclosed a flight improve for himself and his spouse on a Brisbane-Sydney flight in December 2023, the lawyer common, Mark Dreyfus, disclosed an improve from enterprise to top notch on a flight from Los Angeles to Melbourne in January and the well being minister, Mark Butler, famous receiving a “business class upgrade for a personal flight”, vacation spot undisclosed, in July 2023.
Bandt disclosed that he and his partner obtain “occasional upgrades from economy to business class on Virgin and Qantas”.
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The talents minister, Andrew Giles, mentioned he acquired “unrequested” flight upgrades from economic system to enterprise on three home flights between Canberra and Melbourne in November 2023. Barnaby Joyce disclosed an improve to premium economic system between LA and Sydney in September 2023, whereas the sports activities minister, Anika Wells, and her chief of employees got an improve on a flight from Lyon, France to Dubai final September.
Others, together with the LNP member Terry Younger, assistant minister Andrew Leigh, shadow minister James Paterson, minister Matt Thistlethwaite and Liberal MP Aaron Violi all reported upgrades on short-haul home flights, whereas shadow minister David Coleman obtained a premium economic system improve on a LA-Sydney flight, minister Pat Conroy obtained an improve on the identical route, and minister Matt Keogh acquired an improve from enterprise to top notch from Singapore to London, which he valued at $3,000.
The pursuits register additionally reveals greater than a dozen further parliamentarians had accepted items from Qantas.
Bridget McKenzie, who has led criticism of Albanese, declared receiving a reputation tag, two complimentary Qantas lounge invites, a “limited edition amenity kit” and a mannequin airplane from the airline. The tourism minister, Don Farrell, additionally disclosed receiving a mannequin plane, in addition to tickets and hospitality to the Australian Open.
Bandt and Butler declared receiving platinum standing membership with Qantas, as did Chalmers and his partner, and the sources minister, Madeleine King – she additionally declared a “gift” of 75,000 Qantas factors in 2022.
Albanese, within the earlier parliament, disclosed receiving “Qantas Lifetime Platinum status, including leather travel wallet and luggage tag” in 2022.
Thistlethwaite and the Labor MP Susan Templeman disclosed receiving tickets to the 2023 press gallery Midwinter Ball for charity whereas fellow Labor MP Alison Byrnes declared two tickets and hospitality to a Sydney Swans AFL sport in August.
The assistant minister Patrick Gorman disclosed company suite tickets from Qantas to a West Coast Eagles AFL sport in August 2023.
