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October 31, 2024
Federal ministers have sought to make clear that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese did not make any contact with former Qantas boss Alan Joyce to solicit free flight upgrades, after claims he had done so.
The prime minister's office has since issued statements to say Mr Albanese did not request free upgrades from anyone at Qantas through any means of communication.
A frustrated Mr Albanese offered several defences at a press conference on Tuesday where he faced questions about claims by the Nine Newspapers he had made personal requests for a benefit from Mr Joyce.
He did not deny the claims at that press conference, instead suggesting the columnist who wrote them was "trying to sell a book" and no specific allegation had been made.
Last night a spokesperson for the prime minister finally offered a denial, saying "the prime minister did not ever call Alan Joyce seeking an upgrade. All travel has been appropriately declared and is a matter of public record".
Coalition frontbencher James Paterson was quick to leap on the "careful wording" of that statement, saying it left technicalities that the prime minister could have contacted him through other means, or spoken to someone else.
"I honestly wonder how dumb the prime minister's office thinks the Australian people are that they would be fooled by such a carefully worded statement which doesn't go to the core of the issue at all," Senator Paterson told Sky News.
"We could tell when the prime minister was asked about this at his press conference on Tuesday that he had something to hide because he was being incredibly evasive."
In morning interviews, frontbenchers Katy Gallagher and Tanya Plibersek sought to clarify on the prime minister's behalf that he did not make a phone call, send a text message, email, or any other form of communication either.
"My understanding is there was no contact between with Alan Joyce on these matters that have been raised. The PM has answered questions about his contact with Alan Joyce in other press interviews," Senator Gallagher said.
Ms Plibersek said the prime minister had nothing to hide.
"I'm sure the prime minister will be fronting the media all the time, from now on, I don't know what he's up to today but he's been completely transparent ... no doubt he will be doing press conference after press conference in coming days," she told Sky News.
"What these press conferences have demonstrated is he has been completely transparent.
The prime minister's office later clarified its position that no other forms of communication were used, and that Mr Albanese did not request free upgrades from anyone at Qantas by any manner.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton maintained Mr Albanese's messaging had left more questions than answers.
"The prime minister has had different positions, and it's taken him five days to issue a clarifying statement, and he's had to clarify the clarifying statement ... and we're still none the wiser as to what the truth is," he told Sydney radio station 2GB.
The Coalition has so far been unsatisfied with the prime minister's explanation.
Shadow Transport Minister Bridget McKenzie called on the prime minister to provide a complete log of all upgrades he had received, saying she herself had appropriately declared any relevant upgrades and had never solicited one.
But this morning the senator said she would review her own flight records, after the Australian Financial Review put claims to her that she may have failed to declare a flight upgrade.
In a statement, Senator McKenzie said she "[tried] not to hold others to a standard to which I would not hold myself", and had had written to Qantas, Virgin and the administrators for Regional Express asking for a full history of upgrades and flights she may have received.
Senator Paterson said this morning he would have no issue with an inquiry that considered all politicians' travel perks.
Senator Gallagher said an inquiry would be a matter for parliament.
