Peter Dutton LOSES IT by the Qantas-Qatar Airways saga – roars at Anthony Albanese’s transport minister in astonishing scenes
- Opposition leader accused minister of ‘discrediting House’
- Mr. Dutton had had enough of Qatar Airways’ answers
- READ MORE: Penny Wong spoke to the Prime Minister of Qatar
Peter Dutton has lost his composure as ministers dodged questions about Qatar Airways denying extra flights to Australia.
The opposition leader was unusually agitated during Question Time on Wednesday after Transport Secretary Catherine King gave a vague answer about who she had met prior to the decision.
The Middle Eastern carrier was trying to bring 21 additional services to Australia, which proponents, including Virgin Australia, claim would lower international airfares by increasing competition.
Ms King briefly mentioned that her best memory of the conversations she had about the proposal was with Virgin and a third party, while the only conversations she remembers with Qantas were about separate ‘same job, same pay’ legislation.
Amid tense and deafening screams from both sides of the room, Mr. Dutton shouted that Ms. King’s behavior had “put her integrity…in serious doubt.”
“This minister has brought this House into disrepute.”
He added: “The minister could not be more evasive.
“We need to hear directly from this minister whether or not she met Mr. Joyce before making a decision.”
Peter Dutton has lost his composure as ministers dodged questions about Qatar Airways denying extra flights to Australia
Ms King briefly mentioned that her best memory of the conversations she had about the proposal was with Virgin and a third party, while the only conversations she remembers with Qantas were about separate “same job, same pay” legislation.
He said the decision to reject Qatar is costing the Australian public thousands of dollars in increased flight costs.
Mr Dutton said Australians are ‘demanding answers from this government’ and the ‘Prime Minister is leaving on another overseas flight’.
Leader of the House of Representatives Tony Burke described the outbursts as “angry, furious interjections from the Leader of the Opposition.”
A Senate inquiry has been launched to investigate the decision.
National Senator Bridget McKenzie pleaded for an official inquiry this week and was supported 32-31 Tuesday afternoon.
Labor and the Greens voted against the motion, while the Liberal Party, Nationals, One Nation and David Pocock and the Lambie Network voted in favour.
Ms King later returned to the subject, claiming that while in government the coalition ‘put a request from Qatar on hold for four years’, only to approve seven more flights.
The opposition leader became unusually agitated during question time on Wednesday after transport minister Catherine King gave a vague answer about who she met ahead of the decision
Anthony Albanese and the Labor government are under increasing pressure to justify the decision
Flights began in early 2022, long after the 2018 request.
Mr Dutton then asked if Ms King had met with Qantas CEO Alan Joyce before making her decision, which she said was in the national interest.
She said: ‘As far as I can remember the people who spoke to me were Virgin and a third party approached my office on behalf of Qatar.
Mr Dutton interjected and remarked: ‘You can remember all that, but you can’t remember (Qantas).
“Why don’t you answer honestly?” he asked. He later retracted that comment.
Ms King said she believes all talks with Qantas around that time concerned the government’s “same job, same pay” legislation.
The opposition hopes that an investigation will provide some clarity.
Ms. McKenzie of the inquiry: “The Senate has agreed to a short and sharp inquiry into Federal Labor’s decision to restrict flights to major capitals.
“Finally we can get to the bottom of why the government has restricted Australians from having a safe, reliable and competitive aviation industry.”
The government has maintained that there was nothing out of the ordinary about its decision to deny Qatar’s request.