PM says he did not contact Alan Joyce seeking upgrades on Qantas flights

Anthony Albanese has released an update after days of scrutiny over his relationship with former Qantas chief Alan Joyce and upgrades with the airline.

Anthony Albanese has broken his silence after days of scrutiny over his relationship with Qantas and its former chief executive Alan Joyce.

“The Prime Minister did not ever call Alan Joyce seeking an upgrade,” a spokesperson said.

“All travel has been appropriately declared and is a matter of public record.”

While Mr Albanese has previously dodged questions around whether he had called Mr Joyce to secure the flights, it’s understood his office has combed through records dating back to when he was first elected to parliament in 1996.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says he never contacted Alan Joyce directly to receive upgrades or flights on Qantas. Picture: NewsWire / Simon Bullard.

It’s understood all upgrades given to Mr Albanese were procured under standard channels through the airline, under the same methods that would have had to be taken by other MPs.

Peter Dutton has been pressing Mr Albanese to clarify if his “friendship” with Mr Joyce and whether it influenced the government’s decision blocking Qatar from operating extra flights in Australia.

The Prime Minister has also been facing calls to refer himself to the national anti-corruption watchdog amid claims he directly solicited flight upgrades from Mr Joyce.

Peter Dutton is calling on Anthony Albanese to clarify if his “friendship” with an ex-Qantas boss influenced a decision blocking Qatar from running extra flights. Picture: NewsWire / Damian Shaw

The Coalition says the government denying Qatar extra flight slots benefited Qantas, with the Opposition Leader saying there were questions around “the decision to exclude Qatar.”

“But what we do know is that the Prime Minister had a very significant and now declared personal friendship with the CEO of Qantas, who ultimately was the beneficiary of the decision taken by the Prime Minister,” Mr Dutton said.

“And again ... the Prime Minister has to answer that question, as he does the first question ... did he pick the phone up to Alan Joyce and ask for the free upgrades or not?

“It’s a pretty simple question to answer.”

Mr Albanese was alleged to have made the seat-bumping calls to Mr Joyce while serving as transport minister in former Labor governments, as well as transport spokesman while in opposition.

Mr Albanese has denied any wrongdoing and insisted he has declared everything he was meant to.

Earlier, opposition senate leader Simon Birmingham also called on Mr Albanese to say if his relationship with Mr Joyce impacted Labor’s move to block Qatar from running the extra flights in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth in September last year.

Anthony Albanese has continued to face fallout over claims he personally solicited free flight upgrades from former Qantas boss Alan Joyce. Picture: NewsWire/ Steve Pohlner

He said Mr Albanese needed to confirm he did not “exercise his prime ministerial authority … to protect Qantas” that meant “Australian aviation customers were given less choice and greater costs”.

“If you’re having a debate about indeed the influence, it is also whether that influence was used and exerted by the Prime Minister in terms of protecting, potentially, Qantas’ interests and he’s never given a straight answer on that,” Senator Birmingham said.

“That’s really where he should be pressed to give a direct answer. Did he ever actually act, as prime minister, recently on behalf of Qantas?”

At the time, Mr Albanese said he had not been lobbied by Qantas prior to Transport Minister Catherine King making the decision.

Deputy Opposition Leader Sussan Ley said Mr Albanese needed to confirm whether he personally called Mr Joyce for the upgrades and more importantly whether his relationship with Mr Joyce influenced his decision making.

“Now, not giving a straight answer to that question is the point here, and after soliciting upgrades, if indeed that’s what’s happened, did he then prioritise the interests of a company over ordinary Australians in a cost-of-living crisis?” she told Sky News.

Senator Simon Birmingham says the key issue in the flight upgrades scandal is whether Mr Albanese’s relationship with Alan Joyce influenced Labor’s aviation decisions. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

She also echoed Mr Dutton’s call for Mr Albanese to refer himself to the National Anti-Corruption Commission so he can “demonstrate that he’s done nothing wrong”.

A spokesperson for Mr Albanese has rejected the Coalition’s claims.

“This has all been on the record for more than two decades,” they said. 

“The latest suggestion from the Opposition Leader is a pathetic attempt at creating a headline.”

Labor ministers have continued to defend Mr Albanese in media interviews, with Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth accusing the Coalition of launching a political “pile on”.

“It’s a complete pile on the Prime Minister. Peter Dutton can’t explain his use of Gina Rinehart’s private jet,” she said.

“So, quite frankly, I think there’s a lot of politics here and a lot of hypocrisy from the opposition.”

Amid the ongoing controversy, Labor has pointed to the Opposition Leader taking a flight in November 2022 courtesy of mining magnate Gina Rinehart and 69 flight upgrades declared by Liberal MP Paul Fletcher.

Mr Fletcher said the flights were conducted for work-related purposes and were given to him because he chose to fly economy on flights under two hours.