A frustrated Anthony Albanese has hit back at criticism he received free Qantas upgrades worth thousands of dollars, including while as transport minister.
The prime minister said he had never acted inappropriately and had declared every flight and upgrade he received.
The claims were published in excerpts from a new book by former The Australian Financial Review columnist Joe Aston, titled The Chairman’s Lounge.
READ MORE: Almost half of Australian teachers report being sexually harassed at school, new study reveals
Aston reported Albanese directly liaised with the airline’s former CEO Alan Joyce to receive more than 20 free upgrades for himself and his family.
The period of the flight upgrades includes when Albanese was transport minister in the Rudd and Gillard governments.
As he addressed the media in Newcastle today, Albanese said the claims were “made with no specifics”.
“There is no accusations being made with any specifics at all about any of this, none,” he said.
”I’ve been completely transparent about this, all my flights have been declared in an appropriate way.”
He denied ever having discussions with Joyce about free upgrades aside from two occasions, which he said were business-related trips.
One of those trips was on an A380 to Dubai, with several other ministers and media personnel, in an agreement between Australia and the UAE government.
He said it was a non-commercial flight.
READ MORE: Fitness app Strava ‘gives away location of Biden, Trump and other leaders’
He also mentioned that he travelled from Perth to London on the first direct flight with a number of other ministers.
“Stephen Ciobo, the tourism minister, was on that flight, I was on that flight as the shadow minister, so was Mark McGowan, the premier of WA, so was Paul Papalia, the WA tourism minister,” he said.
“All of that was declared.
“I have said very clearly – the only direct discussion with Joyce was over the Qantas flight to Dubai and the first flight to Perth, those were the only times I was on a plane with Alan Joyce.”
Albanese said 10 of the 22 upgraded flights referenced in Aston’s book, between him and Bill Shorten in 2013, were paid for by the Labor Party to ensure there was no cost to taxpayers as they were for internal business matters.
PM says Dutton ‘obsessed’
Albanese then turned the discussion to Peter Dutton, claiming the opposition leader was “obsessed” with making him look bad.
“Peter Dutton seems to be obsessed [with] making a tax on myself, my family, and to try to engage in this obsession,” Albanese said.
“[He] seems to be determined to just be arrogant and nasty every day – that’s up to him.”
READ MORE: Second child dies after tragic South Australia emu crash
Albanese said he and Dutton were different because the Coalition leader had received flights on private jets, while he had only ever flown commercial with Qantas, Virgin and Emirates.
”All of my financial arrangements are completely transparent … I don’t have a family trust, I don’t have any shares, I’ve never had any shares in any company.”
Albanese said he was “far from being the most frequently upgraded parliamentarian”, noting shadow communications minister Paul Fletcher had 69 declared flights.
“He’s been in parliament for less time than I’ve been in,” he said.
links to content on ABC
9News
