Anthony Albanese launches a personal attack on author who exposed his Qantas perks – but makes a humiliating mistake

Anthony Albanese has come out against the author of a book claiming the Prime Minister used a personal link with former Qantas boss Alan Joyce to get lucrative upgrades for himself and his family members.

Mr Albanese also targeted opposition critics, accusing them of failing to fully disclose how they enjoyed billionaire-funded private jet trips, while stating that unlike unnamed other MPs, he had done nothing wrong.

The claim that Mr Albanese contacted Mr Joyce to receive special upgrades that only the CEO could dole out is contained in former Australian Financial Review columnist Joe Aston’s new book The Chairman’s Lounge.

At a media conference in the NSW city of Newcastle on Tuesday, Mr Albanese claimed Mr Aston was using the allegations to sell books and hide his connection to the Liberal Party.

“I just want to say that the person trying to sell a book, and that’s fair enough,” Mr. Albanese said.

“I see no representations that he is a former Liberal Party staffer for a number of leading members of the Liberal Party, including Joe Hockey and Bruce Baird.

‘I don’t see any statements in June, just a few months ago he and John Howard were guests at a Liberal Party fundraiser in the Wentworth electorate.’

Aston responded on social media, pointing out that he wrote about his job with Mr Baird in the first chapter of The Chairman’s Lounge.

“It is revealed on the first line of the first page of the book and has never been a secret,” Mr Aston wrote.

“This is beyond desperate from the Prime Minister.”

Albanese also targeted opposition leader Peter Dutton.

Anthony Albanese (pictured left) has been forced to deny he personally called former Qantas CEO Alan Joyce (pictured right) for upgrades

“My flights were commercial with Qantas or Virgin or Emirates,” Mr Albanese said.

‘They are all properly marked. I didn’t have to report flights on private jets of billionaires like Gina Rinehart because I wasn’t that simple about it.

“It is up to Mr Dutton to explain to private parties how those flights were organised.”

In June, Mr Dutton was flown on Ms Rinehart’s private jet to an event in the NSW town of Tamworth.

However, Mr Albanese appears to have forgotten a 2023 helicopter flight he took with Victorian Premier Dan Andrews.

Last January, Albanese was flown in trucking magnate Lindsay Fox’s private helicopter to a five-hour barbecue with the business magnate and Prime Minister Andrews at the billionaire’s seaside mansion in Victoria.

Mr Dutton was “obsessed” with attacking him personally, Mr Albanese claimed.

“Peter Dutton seems to be obsessed with attacking myself and my family,” Albanese said

“My obsession is helping Australians every day.”

Mr Albanese also suggested that some MPs were hiding their assets in trusts.

“I don’t have a trust, I’ve never owned shares in a company,” he said.

‘It is up to others to say why they have trusts, why we don’t know what they own, what they invest in. I didn’t do that, I acted with integrity.’

The Prime Minister also denied regularly asking Mr Joyce for upgrades.

“The only conversations I can remember with Alan Joyce were certainly not over the phone – we were discussing the first flight from Australia to Dubai on the A380,” he said.

Mr Albanese has accused former Australian Financial Review columnist Joe Aston (pictured) of hiding his Liberal party affiliations

“I have declared everything in accordance with all the rules and I notice that there are others who I know have not necessarily declared all the flights they have made.”

Mr. Albanese said the allegations lack specific details.

“If there is any suggestion to be made, let it be made specifically and I will respond to it,” he said.

The Australian Financial Review reported on Tuesday morning that Mr Albanese had failed to declare thousands of dollars in business class flight upgrades he gave to his ex-wife for their personal travel.

Mr Albanese and his ex-wife, NSW politician Carmel Tebbutt, traveled to Los Angeles, Honolulu and Europe between 2009 and 2013 while he was transport minister, opposition transport spokesperson and opposition leader.

The pair received upgrades from economy class to business class, as Mr Albanese stated in his official register of interests, from Qantas and its partner airline Emirates.