Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie hit with brutal question after calling out Albo for Qantas perks

The senator who launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for accepting free Qantas benefits while failing to declare her own free upgrades has come under fire amid continued backlash.

While no minister or backbencher directly criticized Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie on Wednesday, a government spokeswoman highlighted the politician’s hypocrisy.

“Most MPs have received upgrades from time to time. When that happens, Members of Parliament are expected to declare these upgrades in accordance with the rules,” she said in a statement to the House. Australian Financial Statement.

“Senator McKenzie needs to explain why she doesn’t live up to the standards she sets for others.”

Despite the misconduct, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton and Nationals leader David Littleproud are unlikely to sack Senator McKenzie over the scandal, fearing it could cause tensions in the leadership.

An unnamed MP told the publication that Mr Littleproud needed Senator McKenzie’s support to retain his leadership.

“That’s all it’s about,” they said.

Senator McKenzie submitted an update to her parliamentary register of interests on Wednesday showing several free upgrades from Qantas, Virgin and Rex.

Senator McKenzie attacked Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (pictured center with his partner Jodie Haydon and former Qantas CEO Alan Joyce) for receiving multiple free benefits

Labor previously called on Senator McKenzie to explain her numerous breaches of parliamentary rules, following a report from AFR that she had failed to announce more than a dozen upgrades.

Its updated register shows there have been five business class upgrades on Qantas international flights to and from New Zealand between 2015 and 2018, four on Qantas domestic flights between 2015 and 2024 and seven on Virgin Australia flights between 2015 and 2019 .

The updated register also included a bottle of rum from Earp Distillery and a sleeveless jacket, shortbread biscuits and hand cream from Ports Australia.

The Coalition frontbencher senator wrote to the three airlines last week to check whether they had any unclaimed upgrades.

Senator McKenzie has since admitted that the failure to disclose the flights fell short of public and parliamentary expectations.

“And for this I apologize,” she said.

The tension between political parties over secret airline benefits was sparked by claims that Prime Minister Albanese had ‘been in contact’ with former Qantas boss Alan Joyce over ‘guaranteed’ upgrades shared in former AFR columnist Joe Aston’s book, The Chairman’s Lounge.

Despite the misconduct, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton and Nationals leader David Littleproud (pictured) are unlikely to sack Senator McKenzie

The book claims that Mr Albanese has accepted and disclosed 22 free upgrades since 2007.

This included several trips he made as Minister and Shadow Minister for Transport.

Mr Albanese has denied that neither he nor his office requested the upgrades.

Although the Prime Minister has declared all free benefits, the situation has raised questions about the ethics of regulated industries trying to curry favor with ministers.

Independent Senator David Pocock denounced Senator McKenzie’s secret upgrades as a serious disregard for parliamentary rules, but admitted that “none of the parties, big or small, are coming to this with clean hands.”

“But we lack adequate accountability mechanisms to address such integrity violations,” he said.

Greens transport spokeswoman Elizabeth Watson-Brown has recommended MPs not accept free upgrades on all personal and work-related travel.

Center for Public Integrity director Geoffrey Watson, SC, also condemned Senator McKenzie’s actions as “disgraceful and inexcusable.”

“Mr Dutton appears to be taking a hard line on these issues. It’s obviously not that difficult to apply it to her, or to his own side,” he said.

“So there’s a lot of hypocrisy here.”