Teals call for end of MP flight upgrades, ditching Qantas Chairman's Lounge
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The news: Teal independent Allegra Spender has called for an end to free flight upgrades for MPs, following Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s Qantas upgrades scandal.
The context: Spender announced on Monday that she is cancelling her membership in the invite-only Qantas Chairman’s Lounge, accessible to all MPs, and called for a review into the ministerial code of conduct — for both ministers and shadow ministers.
Spender also said she would write to Qantas and Virgin asking them not to offer upgrades to politicians, which she warned were corroding public trust in the system.
The Sydney Morning Herald has also reported that fellow independent Helen Haines has also “started the process to withdraw from the Chairman’s Lounge”.
It comes after Albanese faced allegations that he had an ongoing understanding with then-Qantas chief executive for free flight upgrades — including on personal flights — while he was transport minister and tasked with regulating the aviation sector. The Coalition is considering launching a Senate inquiry into the allegations.
Albanese eventually denied directly liaising with Joyce over personal upgrades, an allegation outlined in Joe Aston’s new book, The Chairman’s Lounge.
But the saga has again raised the influence of private lobbying over public policy. There are still unanswered questions over the government’s decision to block Qatar Airways, a major competitor to Qantas, from expanding its operations in Australia.
What they said: “The public is understandably losing trust in politicians to make those decisions impartially when they’re being given free upgrades from the companies they’re supposed to regulate. The best way to restore public trust is to simply end the upgrades,” Spender said.
The sources: Allegra Spender statement, The Sydney Morning Herald
