‘Soliciting freebies’: Clash over Albo flight claims
Written by admin on October 29, 2024
The senior Coalition senator leading calls for a probe into Anthony Albanese’s relationship with Qantas has dodged questions about her own experience with the airline.
In a fiery morning show exchange on Tuesday, opposition infrastructure spokeswoman Bridget McKenzie took a shot at Amanda Rishworth after the Labor frontbencher defended the Prime Minister amid claims he called a former Qantas boss for flight upgrades.
Ms Rishworth said Mr Albanese had “publicly declared very, very clearly what he has been gifted”.
“I think the pile on from the Coalition really shows that I think there’s something to ‘if you are in a glass house, don’t throw stones’,” she told Nine’s Today.
“We’ve seen many other MPs declare upgrades and rightly so, and they need to declare them.”
Mr Albanese has been accused of calling former Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce to secure flight upgrades numerous times while he was transport minister.
Asked by host Karl Stefanovic if she had “rung” Mr Joyce for a better seat, the Social Services Minister said: “No. No, I haven’t rung Alan Joyce (or) anyone about an upgrade.”
She went on to say her portfolio and family commitments kept her from travelling as much as others.
Stefanovic quipped that it was not the “most convincing answer” to a “pretty simple question” before turning to Senator McKenzie, who also took a dig Ms Rishworth’s response but then repeatedly failed to answer if she had “called management” for an upgrade.
“Amanda’s answers aside, this is a serious problem,” she said.
“The problem is that I don’t know of another transport minister who had a hotline to the CEO of Qantas to request freebies for family holidays.
“That’s actually what we’re dealing with here.”
Pressed again, she said she was “happy to answer it” but instead went on the offensive again.
“There’s a difference to receive a gift and declare it on your register to actually getting on the blower and saying, ‘Listen, mate, the missus and I are going overseas on a holiday.’ How about upgrading those economy tickets?” Senator McKenzie said.
After a third and final time being pitched if she had ever called Mr Joyce “or anyone in Qantas”, she still did not answer the question.
“I do not have a hotline to request upgrades,” she said.
Senator McKenzie’s demand for an inquiry into Mr Albanese’ relationship with Mr Joyce follows claims in The Chairman’s Lounge by former Australian Financial Review columnist Joe Aston.
Aston wrote that Mr Albanese personally solicited the free flights from Mr Joyce and got 22 free upgrades.
NewsWire has contacted the Prime Minister’s Office for comment.
