‘Filthy’: Karl Stefanovic, Nat Barr rinse government over Qantas saga

Rival morning TV hosts Karl Stefanovic and Nat Barr took the government to task over the ongoing Qantas saga on Wednesday, declaring Aussies are ‘filthy’.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers has conceded that Australians are “filthy” with Qantas but pointedly suggested Anthony Albanese’s ignorance of the decision to block Qatar Airways flights was “a matter for the PM obviously”.

The Treasurer suggested in two separate interviews on Wednesday that it was a matter for Anthony Albanese to explain and that customers were “rightly” angry with Qantas.

The Prime Minister has now revealed that he did not know his government had knocked back an application from Qatar Airways for dozens of extra flights into Australia, after incorrectly telling parliament he had discussed the matter with Virgin Australia before the decision.

Transport Minister Catherine King made the Captain’s call without the Prime Minister’s knowledge – a matter the government insists is standard practice.

Speaking on the Today show, Chalmers insisted there was nothing unusual about the fact that the minister made the call on blocking Qatar Airways from launching 21 new flights to Australia per week, a move that could have boosted competition for customers.

“The decision taken in this case by the Transport Minister is exactly like decisions taken by transport ministers of different political persuasions,’’ the Treasurer said.

“It is not unusual for decisions like this. They judge the national interests. That’s what’s happened here and that’s what’s happened before under governments of other political persuasions.”

But Stefanovic then asked, “Why did it take the PM a week to declare he didn’t know about the Qatar decision by his own minister. He’d only been asked 500 times – that’s a bit weird, isn’t it?.”

“I’m obviously not going to go back through that. It’s a matter for the PM obviously. My job is to make sure, as broadly as possible, that we’ve got an economy which is as competitive as possible,’’ Chalmers said.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Karl Stefanovic. Picture: Today

Shortly afterwards, the Treasurer was asked “how the Prime Minister could not know” on the ABC’s radio national.

“Well, I’m not sure how I can answer a question about the prime minister in this instance,’’ he said.

“He has explained what’s happened here, consistent with the way that transport ministers have taken these decisions in the past. He has explained from his point of view, how this decision was taken by the minister in the usual way.”

Stefanovic suggested that the Prime Minister had to be “pulled, kicking and screaming to reveal the fact he had a chat with the Virgin boss.”

“Labor is a dog’s breakfast on this,’’ Stefanovic said.

“I obviously don’t agree with you, Karl,’’ Chalmers replied. “That won’t shock you. This decision was taken in the usual way. It’s happened before under our predecessors and on previous occasions. My job and the Government’s job is to make sure the aviation sector is as strong and competitive as it can be and that’s our focus.”

Chalmers also revealed that he was also in the dark.

“I wasn’t aware of it until afterwards, Karl,’’ he said.

“But was anyone else wasn’t aware of it?,’’ Stefanovic asked.

“How would I know that, Karl? You would have to ask other people. But this is the usual arrangement,’’ Chalmers replied.

“People can pretend that somehow it’s unusual for Transport Minister’s to take these decisions. Michael McCormack did that on a previous occasion, Catherine King this time. At the same time as our international capacity is expanding with more routes, that’s a good thing.”

PM ‘so out of touch’

It comes as another senior Labor minister was spectacularly grilled over the Qatar Airways decision on Sunrise on Wednesday.

Host Natalie Barr painstakingly grilled the Minister for Home Affairs Clare O’Neil on how the Prime Minister could be “so out of touch”.

“I don’t think that’s accurate,” O’Neil hit back, acknowledging Mr Albanese did not know the decision had been made.

Sunrise host Natalie Barr painstakingly grilled the Minister for Home Affairs, Clare O’Neil, on how the Prime Minister could be 'so out of touch?’ over the government's decision to block more Qatar Airways flights in and out of Australia.

“The reason that the Prime Minister didn’t know it was because it was not his decision. It was a decision of the transport minister.

“She is entitled under Australian law to make these decisions in the national interest. I am a minister who has some national interest powers and this always involves a bunch of complex factors, but I think what is really going on here is Australians are really fed up with a bunch of things that are happening in aviation in particular.

“A new CEO is taking the helm of Qantas today, and they have a big opportunity to reset the relationship with Australians, and I just really hope they take it.”

Barr pushed O’Neil further on the government’s defence of its decision, asking, “was it in the national interest to get less Qatar Airways flights flying in and out of the country and bring down airfares and get the Australian flying public to pay less?”

“Qatar Airways has lots of opportunities to bring more people in and out of the country,” O’Neil said. “We have other airlines which are increasing their flights in and out of Australia at the moment. Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines are in the process of doing that.

“What I think is really important here is to get Qantas to pick up its game.”

Barr interjected and asked whether O’Neil thought the block was a “good decision”.

O’Neil said she supported the decision.

“We’ve got a number of other things happening which will increase competition in aviation. The Australian government doesn’t determine how much air flights cost in this country.

“We have a bunch of levers that can assist Australians with the cost of living crisis, and we’re pulling those.

“There are lots of opportunities for Qatar to already increase the number of people it takes in and out of Australia – it would be great to understand why they are not doing that at the moment.”

Again, Barr interrupted, seemingly fed up with the Minister’s deflections.

“Did your government restrict competition and damage the flying public in this country?” Barr asked

O’Neil responded, “The transport minister has made a decision in the national interest.”

Barr asked again, “Did that decision harm the Australian public?”

“There’s other things happening that will increase competition, and at the end of the day here, we got a very powerful Australian airline that has an enormously important responsibility to Australians that it is not meeting at the moment,” O’Neil said.

“We want lower airfare prices in the country. Qantas can make a change today, and they’ve got a new CEO at the helm, and I hope they can pick up the game.”

After three and a half minutes of back and forth with the Minister, Barr quipped, “with respect, you haven’t answered the question. We know what Qantas is doing. It’s been on every news organisation the last three days.”

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stands with departing Qantas CEO Alan Joyce. Picture: James D. Morgan/Getty Images

PM forced to clarify

Mr Albanese was forced to clarify an answer he gave in Parliament this week about the government’s block of additional Qatar Airways flights.

He revealed he had discussed the issue with the chief executive of Virgin on July 13 while in transit to Canberra — days before the Qatar block was made public but now says at the time he did not realise the decision had already been taken.

“In that call the chief executive made representations relating to air services arrangements with Qatar. During that discussion, I did not know that the transport minister had made a decision on July 10 2023 – a detail that has only been advised to me after question time today,” Mr Albanese said.

Speaking on Radio National, Liberal frontbencher Simon Birmingham said it was vital that an inquiry probe who knew what and when.

“We want to find out how and why this decision was made,’’ he said.

As the ACCC probes claims Qantas tried to sell flights that were already cancelled, the Treasurer conceded Qantas had a lot of work to do.

“People are filthy at Qantas right now. That’s for a range of reasons,’’ the Treasurer said.

“The main job for Vanessa Hudson, for the board and for the company is to regain and maintain that trust.”

“And that’s a good thing, because people are angry at Qantas for good reason for justifiable reason.”

Qatar Airways was seeking an additional 21 services into Australia’s major airports on top of the 28 flights a week it already operates under existing bilateral air rights.

The Coalition has called the July 10 decision a “sweetheart deal” to protect the embattled national carrier from greater competition from foreign airlines.

Transport minister Catherine King says the decision was made in the ‘national interest’. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

It was announced this week that a particular senate inquiry will probe all federal government decisions relating to commonwealth bilateral air service agreements received in the past 12 months after its scope was broadened beyond the Qatar Airways decision.

“The Senate will now hold a special inquiry into why the prime minister and his government is standing in the way of cheaper airfares,” Nationals Senator Bridget McKenzie said.

“This is a win for everyday Australians who want more competition and lower airfares in our aviation sector.”