Albanese’s fiancée offered luxury Qantas perk

Anthony Albanese’s fiancée Jodie Haydon was personally offered “stand alone” membership of the Qantas chairman’s lounge after the 2022 election as an unsolicited act of soft diplomacy by the national carrier.

Hitting back at claims he personally sought freebies, Mr Albanese privately maintains he did not seek the gift or request it for his fiancée and it was duly reported to the register of interests in October, 2022, although it’s not clear exactly when the membership was offered.

News.com.au can reveal that the Prime Minister’s account is at odds with a new book The Chairman’s Lounge in which author Joe Aston writes that “according to multiple senior Qantas sources, who requested not to be named, soon after Albanese became Prime Minister in 2022 he asked (Qantas CEO Alan) Joyce to make his son Nathan a member too.”

“What was Joyce supposed to say,’’ Aston writes.

But the sequence according to Labor insiders was slightly different.

They assert that after Mr Albanese separated from his wife Carmel Tebutt in 2019 that his son Nathan, who was around19 at the time, became his designated Commonwealth family member for the purpose of family travel.

This decision is intriguing if true, because under the rules, a parliamentarian may nominate a family member or dependent but the dependent must be under the age of 18.

By nominating his adult son as his designated family traveller after he turned 18, Mr Albanese could continue to claim for travel for his son, although official records suggest this was done sparingly until the 2022 election when there were significant costs of around $14,000.

It’s not clear whether those costs relate to Mr Albanese’s son, or his fiancée Jodie Haydon, or both.

The issue of his Qantas Chairman’s Lounge membership is a separate matter but it may help explain why Mr Albanese became his “plus one” for both purposes.

It’s not clear whether or not Mr Albanese’s son is still a designated person for family reunion travel. The Prime Minister’s office has been contacted for comment.

As a member of the Chairman’s Club, Mr Albanese automatically has a complimentary plus one, with Nathan Albanese being that person after his parent’s divorce.

But it’s his account that after the 2022 election, Qantas offered to provide Jodie Haydon with a stand alone membership herself. In theory, this would have allowed Mr Albanese’s son to continue as his plus one.

It may also explain why Mr Albanese has declared his fiance’s membership of the Qantas chairman’s club as a stand alone membership, but never disclosed his son Nathan Albanese’s “plus one” rights.

The Prime Minister’s account is at odds with a new book by Joe Aston, The Chairman’s Lounge that asserts that Ms Haydon is his designated spouse and “plus one”.

Mr Aston previously told the Australian Financial Review it appeared Mr Albanese was stretching the definition of ‘plus one’ in his dealings with Qantas.

“Jodie Haydon is Anthony Albanese’s plus one to the Chairman’s Lounge, and Nathan Albanese is not,” he said.

But news.com.au understands that Ms Haydon is not strictly speaking his plus one but has in fact scored her own stand alone membership, just like his ex-wife Carmel Tebbutt enjoyed as NSW Deputy Premier.

Critics say it’s another example Qantas’ ‘soft diplomacy’ with the Prime Minister, where the airline bends over backwards to have a good relationship by offering him freebie flight upgrades for a quarter of a century including not removing Mr Albanese’s son Nathan’s complimentary chairman’s club membership as his “plus one.”

By granting Ms Haydon her own stand alone membership Mr Albanese’s son Nathan can continue to have complimentary membership as his dad’s actual ‘plus one.’

While the invitation only club traditionally offers CEOs and MPs complimentary membership for spouses, the Prime Minister is in the unusual position of having membership for himself if he travels commercially for private holidays and for his fiancée Jodi Haydon and for his son, Nathan Albanese, 24.

The triple dipping means that all three members of his family have Chairman’s Lounge membership and with stand alone status Ms Haydon can even bring guests herself.

Mr Albanese has previously suggested that his former wife Carmel Tebutt was his “plus one” on his Qantas membership and that when they divorced his son was his “plus one” instead.

But as Sky News’ Sharri Markson reported this week, Ms Tebbutt was actually awarded membership on a stand alone basis herself as the NSW Deputy Prime Minister.

Mr Albanese has chosen to never declare his son’s complimentary membership of the Qantas Chairman’s Lounge arguing his son is “not a public figure.”

But he has previously strongly rejected suggestions of nepotism, warning against “personal attacks” on politicians’ family members.

“He’s a young person trying to make his way in the world,” he told journalists at the time.

“It’s up to you to ask whatever questions you like, but I’ll refer you to David Littleproud’s comments.”

That’s a reference to the Nationals leader’s attempt to defuse the matter by suggesting it was bad form to drag politician’s kids into the controversy.

“I know Nathan personally, I think he’s a fine young man. He’ll make a great contribution to wherever he goes. I don’t think we need to get into the personal attacks of family members,” Mr Littleproud told Sky News at the time.