Sunrise host Nat Barr has questioned why seven Labor Ministers and Assistant Ministers were gifted upgrades on Qantas flights after Qatar Airways was blocked from expanding in Australia.
The MP declarations for Mark Butler, Bill Shorten, Mark Dreyfus, Anika Wells, Pat Conroy, Matt Kogh and Andrew Giles revealed the politicians were given flight upgrades after Labor’s controversial decision.
On July 10, 2023 the Labor Government rejected a proposal from Qatar Airways to add an extra 28 Australian routes, an additional 21 flights per week.
Experts believed Qatar’s expansion would have reduced airfares by 40 per cent and could have boosted the country’s tourism industry by a whopping $788 million.
The Qantas flight upgrades on both domestic and international trips, were provided in the months after Qatar’s proposal was rejected.
On several occasions, Mr Albanese and his Transport Minister Catherine King had met with former Qantas boss Alan Joyce in the lead up to Qatar being blocked.
The proposal was not even taken to cabinet, with Ms King explaining Qatar Airways was prevented from expanding in Australia as it was ‘not in the national interest’.
Health Minister Mark Butler accepted a business class upgrade on a private Qantas flight from Melbourne to Adelaide just a few weeks after Ms King’s decision.
The Qantas flight upgrades to seven Labor Ministers and Assistant Ministers were provided just months after Transport Minister Catherine King (pictured with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese) blocked Qatar Airways from expanding in Australia
Qatar Airways’ proposal to add an extra 28 Australian routes – which was believed to drastically cut costs of airfares and boost the country’s tourism industry – was rejected in July 2023
Mr Butler defended his upgrade on Monday, claiming he had declared all his upgrades in ‘accordance with the rules’.
‘I think I have received four over the last 10 years, and they have been declared in accordance with the rules,’ Mr Butler told Sunrise host Natalie Barr.
‘They have all been recorded in a long-established system’.
Barr questioned the Health Minister on whether it was ‘dodgy’ for ministers to receive Qantas upgrades after Qatar was blocked from expanding in the country.
‘If the main opposition is blocked from the company and ministers receive upgrades in the weeks after that, is that dodgy,’ Barr asked.
‘I’m not sure what the allegation is, Nat,’ Mr Butler fired back.
‘We fly Qantas and Virgin several times a week. This happens after decisions are made by governments that impact airlines all the time. They have for years and years.
‘That’s why we have a rigorous system of declaration, and I have complied with it, as have my colleagues.’
Mr Butler defended Prime Minister Anthony Albanese after his relationship with Mr Joyce was called into question.
Former Australian Financial Review columnist Joe Aston claimed in his new book, The Chairman’s Lounge, that Mr Albanese personally approached Mr Joyce to get dozens of free Qantas flight upgrades.
‘He’s done several press conferences over recent days where he’s been repeatedly questioned about this,’ Mr Butler said.
‘He declared (upgrades) in a timely fashion, in accordance with the system, as politicians across the political spectrum have done for years.
‘I’m not sure what the allegation is that Peter Dutton has made beyond slinging mud, but the Prime Minister has complied with all of the rules in place for many years.’
Health Minister Mark Butler (right) defended his Qantas upgrade, which he scored on a private flight just weeks after Ms King’s decision, claiming he declared it in ‘accordance with the rules’
NDIS Minister Bill Shorten also declared in his personal register of interests a ‘complimentary and unsolicited upgrade to first class’ in August 2023 on an international Emirates flight – an airline which is an international partner of Qantas.
A month later, Sports Minister Anika Wells along with her Chief of Staff were gifted upgrades on their Qantas flight to Europe.
In November 2023, the Assistant Minister overseeing Veterans’ Affairs Matt Keogh scored a ‘complimentary upgrade from business to first class’ on a Qantas flight from London to Singapore.
In the same month, Andrew Giles, the former Immigration Minister, was given three upgrades on separate Qantas flights.
Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy was upgraded on his flight between Los Angeles to Sydney in December, while Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus was bumped up to first class on his flight from Los Angeles to Melbourne in February this year.
It comes after Mr Aston’s book revealed Mr Albanese received at least 22 free Qantas upgrades from economy class for personal travel and also for his family.
Mr Butler also defended the Prime Minister (left) after his relationship with former Qantas boss Alan Joyce (right) was called into question
The Prime Minister on Sunday told reporters he had declared every upgrade he received.
‘From time to time, members of parliament receive upgrades, what’s important is that they are declared,’ Mr Albanese said.
‘All of mine have been declared. I note that a range of them go back a long, a long period of time. They’ve all been declared as appropriate.’
