‘Toxic’: Karl Stefanovic slams Qantas’ cosy relationship with PM

Karl Stefanovic has accused Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of being “loved up” with “toxic” airline Qantas.

Channel Nine’s Karl Stefanovic has accused Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of being “loved up” with “toxic” airline Qantas.

Speaking on the Today show, the veteran host warned Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles that the fallout from shock revelations about the airline was now “damaging” the government.

“Your government could not have been more loved-up with Qantas, it is toxic and you all hitched a wagon to it,” Stefanovic said.

Bowing to public pressure, Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce announced this week the airline would scrap the planned expiry date on flight refunds for $370 million of flights cancelled or disrupted due to the border closures during Covid.

It could have resulted in Qantas pocketing hundreds of millions of dollars.

Adam Goodes, Anthony Albanese and Alan Joyce. Picture: Gaye Gerard/NCA NewsWire

Separately, the consumer watchdog has now accused Qantas of selling tickets to flights that did not exist.

“Obviously, what is being reported today is very concerning in relation to Qantas,” Mr Marles replied.

“I get that it’s now in front of the courts, so there is a limit to what we can say. Clearly Qantas have done the right thing in terms of extending the expiry date in relation to those tickets.”

But Stefanovic said that “minister after minister has backed them and you are all in it”.

“That is damaging,” he said.

“(There is a) White Paper that is being called a lame-duck. Seriously, how can you have a White Paper without looking at competition and airlines and airports? I mean you can’t sit there and say that it’s not damaging for the government. You have hitched your wagon to Qantas in a big way.”

The PM with his partner Jodie Haydon at the Qantas dinner. Picture: James D. Morgan/Getty Images

Mr Marles said he didn’t “accept that”.

But Liberal leader Peter Dutton said voters felt they were being “poked in the eye”.

“Look, the relationship between Alan Joyce and Anthony Albanese is well documented,” he said.

“I mean Anthony Albanese hasn’t found a red carpet that he’s not willing to trot down with Alan Joyce — that’s just the reality of their relationship. So, they’ve been proud about it up until this point and now the government’s trying to drop Qantas, but the fact is that Qantas has some serious questions to answer.”

Mr Dutton said if Qantas’ conduct was “as reported, then they owe a huge apology and compensation to many Australians”.

“The whole credit debacle where Australians haven’t been able to get money back has been completely unacceptable,” he said.

“So I think Australians are right to feel like they’ve been poked in the eye by this government.”

Today host Karl Stefanovic. Picture: Nine

ALP president Wayne Swan said Qatar’s permissions to fly in Australia should be reviewed, following accusations of the government blocking extra Qatar flights in the country to protect Qantas’ profits.

“These things are negotiated, government-to-government from time to time,” he told Today.

“An appropriate review where things are, given all these revelations, would be good. We have price gouging, and deceptive conduct, and real questions to be answered by Qantas,” he said.

Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb said allowing Qatar Airways more flights into Australia would have reduced airfares for customers.

“The ACCC welcomes every possible opportunity to increase access and choice and competition,” she told ABC radio.

“In this case the decision has been made under an international agreement and the ACCC has no role in it. [But] we would welcome more competition.”