‘This is a stunt’: Anthony Albanese defends Catherine King over Qatar inquiry invite

The PM is standing firm by his transport minister’s decision to block Qatar’s bid to fly more planes into Australia’s biggest airports.

Anthony Albanese has hit out at the Coalition’s attempt to drag one of his ministers before a senate inquiry, labelling it a “political stunt”.

The Coalition-led Bilateral Air Services inquiry, set up to probe Transport Minister Catherine King’s decision to reject Qatar Airways’ bid to expand its offerings into Australia, has called for the minister to appear before the committee.

Ms King’s decision to block the airline from almost doubling its weekly flights into Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne airports has come under intense scrutiny amid claims Qantas’ intense lobbying dissuaded the minister.

Last week, the committee heard that Virgin Australia was under the impression in January that Ms King would approve Qatar’s application within a matter of weeks. It was denied in July.

Ms King has denied allegations former Qantas chief Alan Joyce played a role in her decision, maintaining she made the call in “the national interest”.

She later conceded a 2020 incident at a Qatari airport had also factored into her decision.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has defended Catherine King against the Coalition’s Qatar “stunt”. Picture: NCA Newswire / Gaye Gerard

Coalition senators Bridget McKenzie and Simon Birmingham last week confirmed they would attempt to call Ms King before the committee after they came up against “gagged” public servants during a hearing last week.

Ms King has rebuffed the invitation to appear before the committee, saying it would be a “waste of time”.

The Prime Minister backed her in on Wednesday morning, labelling it a “stunt”.

“No House of Representatives member has ever appeared before a Senate inquiry,” Mr Albanese said.

“This is a stunt. Ministers do not appear.”

Ms King did not conclusively reject the invitation to appear, but said the invitation was a political tactic.

“It is longstanding practice that House of Representatives members do not appear before Senate committees,” she said in a statement.

“It is also the approach the now-Opposition Leader Peter Dutton took.

“While Senator McKenzie is wasting time on a political stunt, I am spending time doing the hard work the Coalition never did to set our aviation sector up for the future.”

Transport Minister Catherine King has maintained she made the right decision in “the national interest”. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

While it is rare for a member of the House to appear before a Senate committee, it is not unprecedented.

Then-immigration minister Scott Morrison fronted a Senate inquiry over boat turnbacks in 2014.

It’s understood the Coalition could now ask the Senate to consider other means to force the minister to reveal any influencing factors into her rejection.

At the same time Senators McKenzie and Birmingham were inviting Ms King to appear, they were threatening Mr Joyce with potential jail time if he refused their summons request.

Senator Birmingham on Friday said he did not believe it would come to time behind bars.

“The regular summons will be issued in terms of his attendance,” Senator Birmingham said.

“We would hope and trust that he will attend. He hasn’t said that he isn’t willing to attend. So we trust he will, that he’ll front up and that he should be transparent about interactions.”

Jail time as a result of refusing to appear before a parliamentary inquiry is not without precedent. In the 1950s, two journalists were jailed for not adhering to a summons order.

The Senate could theoretically jail someone found to be in contempt for up to six months.