Ministers caught out scrambling to disclose Chairman’s Lounge memberships

Jo Haylen and Anoulack Chanthivong rushed to declare their Chairman’s Lounge memberships after inquiries by The Daily Telegraph.

Two government Ministers have been caught out rushing to disclose memberships of Qantas’ elite Chairman’s Lounge after inquiries from The Daily Telegraph about their lack of transparency.

Embattled Transport Minister Jo Haylen and Fair Trading Minister Anoulack Chantivong only declared they were members of the secretive club on September 18.

In Ms Haylen’s case, the disclosure came more than four months after she had been given entry into the Chairman’s Lounge, an invitation only club for the airline’s VIPs.

Qantas gave Mr Chantivong access to the Chairman’s Lounge in June.

Ministers are required to “promptly” disclose any hospitality worth more than $500 to a “Ministerial Register of Gifts” managed by bureaucrats.

Transport Minister Jo Haylen insisted that she had declared her Chairman’s Lounge membership to parliament. Picture: NCA NewsWire.

Fair Trading Minister Anoulack Chantivong said he had complied with the rules, before making a disclosure after The Daily Telegraph’s inquiries. Picture: NCA NewsWire

Neither Ms Haylen or Mr Chantivong disclosed their Chairman’s Lounge membership to The Cabinet Office until after the Telegraph revealed the ministers may have been in breach of disclosure rules, on September 18.

Both ministers disclosed their memberships the same day.

Before she declared her membership to the department, Ms Haylen said that she had made all the necessary declarations.

The swanky Chairman’s Lounge is an invite-only club.

At the time, Ms Haylen’s spokesman said she had “declared her membership of the Qantas Chairman’s Lounge via a discretionary declaration to the parliament”.

“It will also be included in the next update to the gifts register,” he said.

That update ended up being made the very day the Telegraph published a story.

The revelations were contained in documents released under freedom of information laws to Liberal MP Matt Cross.

“The public should expect the Ministerial Code of Conduct is strictly followed at all times,” Mr Cross said.

“The Code clearly states prompt disclosure of gifts, hospitality and benefits.”

“Premier Minns needs to set and enforce the highest standards for his team,” Mr Cross said.

At least 15 of the pair’s cabinet colleagues had previously disclosed their memberships to the lounge on a gift’s register.

The Premier’s office in September argued that a disclosure to parliament was enough to ensure ministers had abided with the rules.

Membership of the exclusive lounge grants visitors access to a private bar, restaurant and a buffet, as well as individual bathroom facilities and a plethora of waiters and bar staff.

The lounge – and its exclusive membership – triggered controversy earlier this year when Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was questioned over not declaring his son’s membership, although no obligations exist requiring the declaration of the interests of politicians’ adult children.

The Prime Minister in August said on the issue: “I completely comply with all the requirements of the register”.

Then Qantas-boss Alan Joyce signalled in September a crackdown on the invitation-only lounge to ensure they were spending money with the airline.

All federal MPs are given a membership for the lounge, which is exclusively for use for domestic flights across Australia.