Colleagues unimpressed by Anthony Albanese’s plan to ride out flight perks saga

Anthony Albanese has told his colleagues he has been unfairly scrutinised by the media over his Qantas flight upgrades and claimed the furore would soon die down.

Anthony Albanese’s attempt to reassure his colleagues over the controversy around his Qantas flight upgrades has been described by some as a “bit of a whinge” that lacked any plan to get Labor back on message after a damaging week dominated by scrutiny of politicians’ airline perks.

The Prime Minister addressed the saga during a meeting with his ministers in Melbourne on Wednesday, taking aim at what he perceived as unfair media scrutiny and insisting the matter would soon calm down.

Mr Albanese’s initial statement he had “never” called former Qantas boss Alan Joyce to solicit any free flight upgrades was further clarified on Thursday, with the PM ruling out contact via all forms of communication or through other Qantas representatives.

It came as Opposition Leader Peter Dutton also conceded his office had previously asked for a free flight on billionaire mining magnate Gina Rinehart’s private jet after having said earlier in the week no ­request was made.

At a meeting with his ministers before an ALP fundraiser at Melbourne’s Ritz Carlton hotel on Wednesday, Mr Albanese compared the furore over his flight upgrades to the treatment of past Labor leaders, saying they were held to a higher standard than the ­Coalition.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had ‘a bit of a whinge’ to his colleagues about what he saw as unfair media scrutiny of his travel perks. Picture: Simon Bullard

One MP at the meeting said Mr Albanese seemed “oblivious” to the fact he had a growing perception problem based on how he had let the upgrades drama drag on all week. They described his explanations as an “bit of a whinge” rather than a “clear plan” for how to deal with the issue and get the government back on message.

Another said the week had been a “mess” for Labor and they had “little hope” the ­Qantas furore would have died down by the time parliament resumed in Canberra next week.

Meanwhile, Mr Dutton on Thursday confirmed his office had asked Ms Rinehart for free flights from Queensland to Sydney and back so he could attend a Bali bombing memorial service in 2022.

Earlier this week, Mr Dutton said he hadn’t requested the flight, but he clarified his office had reached out to arrange it with Ms Rinehart’s office due to a lack of alternative options.

“I couldn’t get a commercial flight together in time,” Mr Dutton said on Thursday.

He said the government had also declined to make a taxpayer-funded VIP jet available, while quotes for a charter were about $40,000, whereas Ms Rinehart’s plane was “available free of cost to the taxpayer”.

Peter Dutton has admitted to requesting a flight on mining billionaire Gina Rinehart’s private jet to attend a Bali bombing memorial in 2022.

Coalition transport spokeswoman Bridget McKenzie has also been caught out in the flight upgrades furore, on Thursday announcing she had asked Qantas, Virgin and Rex to help her review her own travel history.

Senator McKenzie had previously claimed she had only ever received one Qantas business upgrade, which was declared on her register of interests, but is now auditing her travel since 2011 to determine if there were others.

“In my public comments I said to the best of my knowledge all flights had been appropriately declared and that I had not personally solicited an upgrade,” she said.

“However, I try not to hold others to a standard to which I would not hold myself … If there are any inconsistencies with my previous declarations, I will make those changes.”

Mr Dutton defended his cabinet colleague, saying Ms McKenzie had been “open and honest and forthright”.

“Bridget McKenzie wasn’t the prime minister or the transport minister requesting flight upgrades from the CEO or a proxy for the CEO,” he said, referring to the ­allegations around Mr Albanese.

Jodie Haydon (l to r), Anthony Albanese, Daniel Nour and Andrew Parker. Mr Parker is understood to have personally handled the PM’s Qantas flight upgrades. Picture: Linkedin

Liberal Hughes MP Jenny Ware also on Wednesday updated her register of interests to declare she had received upgrades for a Brisbane to Sydney flight with Virgin in March, a Canberra to Sydney Qantas flight in 2022, and a flight to Denpasar in Indonesia in January 2023.

Ms Ware declared she had not requested the upgrades and had received them either at the gate or on the plane.

The Coalition has flagged it will seek crossbench support to launch an inquiry into the flight upgrades issue.

On Thursday, Finance Minister Katy Gallagher said the standards and rules around gifts and the MPs’ interests register were a “matter for parliament”.

“The parliament sets the rules,” she said. “If you receive any gift or hospitality or, in this instance, an upgrade, you must report that and record it on your Register of Interests.

“It’s about accountability and transparency.”

Mr Albanese’s flight upgrades were personally handled by Qantas government relations executive Andrew Parker when he was the Group Executive for Government and International Affairs, Sky News host Sharri Markson revealed on Thursday.

The PM clarified to 2GB host Ben Fordham he did not mention travel plans or seek upgrades from either Mr Joyce, or any other Qantas employee, but it was not confirmed whether his staff may have directly contacted a Qantas executive like Mr Parker in the past.

Do you know more? Email [e-mail]