MELBOURNE, Australia — On Tuesday, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese asserted that he has consistently “acted in a transparent and appropriate way” in response to a new book claiming he sought complimentary upgrades for personal flights on Qantas Airways.
The allegations emerged from a segment of the book that revealed Albanese, who served as transport minister in a previous administration, supposedly developed an excessively close rapport with Alan Joyce, who led Qantas for 15 years before stepping down in 2023.
Qantas, recognized as Australia’s largest airline, functioned as a state-owned entity until the 1990s. It serves as the nation’s flag carrier and is mandated by law to maintain a minimum of 51% Australian ownership.
The book quotes unnamed Qantas insiders who mentioned that Albanese directly communicated with Joyce regarding his personal travel arrangements.
Addressing the claims, Albanese reported having formally declared 22 complimentary Qantas flight upgrades in a gifts register for lawmakers, totaling over 300 Australian dollars (approximately $197). Albanese pointed out that opposition member Paul Fletcher had listed 69 upgrades.
“I’ve declared everything in accordance with all of the rules,” Albanese emphasized to the press.
He further stressed, “I have, at all times — at all times — acted in a transparent and appropriate way,” while recalling only two instances of discussions with Joyce relating to flights, which did not pertain to personal travel.
“There’s no accusation being made with any specifics at all about any of this. None. None,” Albanese insisted.
He also highlighted that the author of the book, Joe Aston, was previously a staff member for the opposition party and worked at Qantas. The book, titled “The Chairman’s Lounge: The Inside Story of How Qantas Sold Us Out,” raises questions about the connections between Qantas and the government.
Joyce could not be reached for a comment, and there was no immediate response from Qantas regarding the accusations.
The Australian newspaper indicated that Albanese might have contravened the former government’s ministerial conduct code, which he adhered to during his tenure as transport minister from 2007 until 2013. The code explicitly prohibits ministers from soliciting or encouraging any form of gifts in their personal capacity.
Opposition leader Peter Dutton labeled the allegation regarding Albanese seeking free upgrades as “a bit strange,” stating, “I’m not aware of anyone else having done it.”
In rebuttal, Albanese challenged Dutton to clarify why he had accepted a complimentary flight on a private jet from mining magnate Gina Rinehart.
“What you need to do is ensure you stick to the rules. I’ve done that at all times,” he remarked.
Aston, who was previously a columnist for The Australian Financial Review until last year, pointed out that Qantas accounted for over 80% of federal government expenditures on domestic flights in the past year. The Financial Review is associated with the Nine Entertainment Company, which also published a segment of the book.
Aston contends that the close relationship between the government and Qantas explains why a proposal from Qatar Airways to expand its service to Australia was turned down last year.