Anthony Albanese may have breached the ministerial code of conduct by asking former Qantas CEO Alan Joyce for upgrades during his time as minister.
A new book by former Australian Financial Review columnist Joe Aston reveals Mr Albanese accepted free flight upgrades worth tens of thousands of dollars when he was Transport Minister or shadow Transport Minister.
According to unnamed Qantas ‘insiders’, 11 of the 22 flights for which Albanese received upgrades were ‘privately funded’ and included overseas trips to Rome, London, Los Angeles and Honolulu, some of which were for holidays.
The book also claims that Mr Albanese contacted Mr Joyce directly during his various parliamentary roles to request special upgrades for himself or his family.
Mr Albanese served as Transport Secretary from December 2007 to September 2013 under Prime Ministers Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard.
The ministerial ethics standards, which ban ministers from soliciting or encouraging gifts of any kind for their personal benefit, were released by Mr Rudd in December 2007.
Ms Gillard later adopted the code in September 2010, meaning Mr Albanese was subject to its rules as Transport Secretary.
“Ministers may therefore accept customary official gifts, hospitality, expressions of appreciation and similar formal gestures in their official capacity in accordance with relevant guidelines,” the code said.
“But they should not seek or encourage any form of gift in their personal capacity.
‘Ministers must also comply with the requirements of Parliament and the Prime Minister regarding the declaration of gifts.’
A new book claims that when Mr Albanese was Minister for Transport and Shadow Transport, he contacted Qantas CEO Alan Joyce to arrange his personal travel (pictured Mr Albanese (left) with Alan Joyce)
Ministerial ethics standards dictate that a minister must not ‘seek or encourage any form of gift in his personal capacity’ (photo Anthony Albanese, right, Alan Joyce centre, with the Prime Minister’s fiancée Jodie Haydon)
At a media conference in Newcastle on Tuesday, Albanese claimed Aston was using the allegations to sell books and accused him of hiding his links to the Liberal Party.
“I just want to say that the person trying to sell a book, and 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 was a guest – he and John Howard – at a Liberal Party fundraiser in the electorate of Wentworth.”
Aston responded on social media, pointing out that he wrote about his job with Mr Baird in the opening 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.
“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 involved, it’s that simple.
“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 private helicopter flight he took with Victorian Premier Dan Andrews.
Last January, Mr Albanese was flown in Lindsay Fox’s private helicopter to a five-hour barbecue with the trucking magnate and Mr Andrews at the billionaire’s coastal 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.
Opposition transport spokeswoman Bridget McKenzie says Mr Albanese should tell the Australian public whether it’s true or not (see the book that makes the claims)
“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.
Opposition transport spokeswoman Bridget McKenzie said Albanese should let Australians know if he was trying to get upgrades for himself and his family while he was transport minister.
“This is for the Prime Minister to reassure the Australian public. This is a matter of trust. It is also a matter of ministerial integrity,” she said.
“The allegations in Joe Aston’s book are that he actively requested upgrades for himself and his family members.
‘Is it true or not? Despite two press conferences, we have no answer to that question so far.’