Sunrise host Nat Barr asks the question on every Aussies’ mind about Qantas upgrade saga: ‘Dodgy’
Seven Labor ministers and assistant ministers received upgrades on Qantas flights after Qatar Airways was blocked from expanding in Australia.
Parliamentary statements for Mark Butler, Bill Shorten, Mark Dreyfus, Anika Wells, Pat Conroy, Matt Kogh and Andrew Giles revealed the politicians were given flight upgrades following Labour’s controversial decision.
On July 10, 2023, the Labor government rejected a proposal from Qatar Airways to add 28 additional Australian routes, 21 additional flights per week.
Experts believed that Qatar’s expansion could have reduced airfares by 40 percent and boosted the country’s tourism sector by as much as $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 run-up to the Qatar blockade.
The proposal was not even brought to Cabinet, with Ms King explaining that Qatar Airways should not be allowed to expand in Australia because 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 for seven Labor ministers and assistant ministers were provided just months after Transport Minister Catherine King (pictured with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese) stopped Qatar Airways from expanding into Australia
Qatar Airways’ proposal to add 28 additional Australian routes – which was believed to dramatically reduce the cost of air tickets and boost the country’s tourism sector – 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’ve received four in the last 10 years, and they’ve been declared compliant,” Butler told Sunrise host Natalie Barr.
“They are all captured in a long-standing system.”
Barr asked the health minister if it was “unreliable” for ministers to receive Qantas upgrades after Qatar was unable to expand in the country.
“If the main opposition is blocked from the company and ministers get upgrades in the weeks that follow, that’s unreliable,” Barr asked.
“I’m not sure what the charge is, Nat,” Mr. Butler fired back.
‘We fly several times a week with Qantas and Virgin. This happens after governments make decisions that continuously affect airlines. They’ve had that for years and years.
‘That is why we have a rigorous reporting system, and I have adhered to it, just like my colleagues.’
Butler defended Prime Minister Anthony Albanese after his relationship with 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 has held several press conferences in recent days where he has been repeatedly questioned about this,” Butler said.
‘He stated (upgrades) in a timely manner, in accordance with the system, as politicians across the political spectrum have been doing for years.
“I’m not sure what the accusation is that Peter Dutton has made, other than mud-slinging, but the Prime Minister has played by all the rules for 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 had declared it ‘compliant with the rules’
NDIS Minister Bill Shorten also declared in his personal register of interests in August 2023 a ‘free and unsolicited upgrade to first class’ on an international Emirates flight – an airline that is an international partner of Qantas.
A month later, Sports Minister Anika Wells and her chief of staff received upgrades for their Qantas flight to Europe.
In November 2023, the Assistant Minister overseeing Veterans Affairs Matt Keogh scored a ‘free upgrade from business to first class’ on a Qantas flight from London to Singapore.
In the same month, former Immigration Minister Andrew Giles received three upgrades on separate Qantas flights.
Defense Industry Minister Pat Conroy was upgraded on his flight from Los Angeles to Sydney in December, while Attorney General Mark Dreyfus was promoted 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 economy class upgrades 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 questioned
The Prime Minister told reporters on Sunday that he had declared every upgrade he received.
“From time to time, MPs get upgrades, the most important thing is they are called out,” Albanese said.
“Mine are all marked. I note that some of them go back a long, long time. They have all been declared fit.’
In his book, Mr Aston also claims that Mr Albanese personally approached Mr Joyce to get free flight upgrades, including with an international partner on a trip to Rome.
Qantas executives can authorize ‘available space’ upgrades – which are only awarded to a passenger if there is an empty business or first class seat after check-in closes.
The book claims that Mr Albanese received guaranteed upgrades, a perk that only Mr Joyce was allowed to spend.