The point of hiring former politicians and staffers to work at large, regulated companies is that they hold inside intel about how the murky world of government really works. They also usually have an enviable list of phone numbers that can be just as valuable.

The saga engulfing politics this week, centred on Qantas flight upgrades for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, has shone a light on the grey areas in which political staffers, lobbyists and government regulations executives operate and the ease with which they move between these worlds.