Bridget McKenzie ‘safe as houses’ as she discloses 16 previously undeclared flight upgrades

Bridget McKenzie has disclosed 16 previously undeclared flight upgrades but her Coalition colleagues say she’s ‘safe as houses’ as the major parties call a truce.

Bridget McKenzie was forced to audit her own flight upgrades. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Bridget McKenzie – the ­Coalition’s chief attack dog against Anthony Albanese over the Qantas flight upgrades saga – is “safe as houses” despite disclosing 16 previously undeclared upgrades of her own, with the major parties calling a truce over the controversy.

Senator McKenzie has now updated the register of senators’ interests to make the disclosures, which The Australian has received a copy of, after saying last Monday she had never sought nor received upgrades from Qantas.

Her updated disclosure log shows she received three upgrades from economy to business on Qantas domestic flights while travelling on parliamentary business between October last year and August. She has been opposition transport spokeswoman during this time. Another Qantas domestic flight upgrade was disclosed from January 2015, but no purpose of travel.

And five upgrades were declared on international travel to or from New Zealand by Qantas between July 2016 and October 2018.

Her office said the flights were for personal travel and paid for by Senator McKenzie.

The period overlaps with her relationship with New Zealand ex-partner David Bennett, a former minister and National Party MP.

Seven flight upgrades were “provided within membership of Virgin ‘The Club’ allocation” between January 2015 and September 2019.

“I have never sought free upgrades, which has been affirmed by the airlines to the extent of their records,” Senator McKenzie said.

“Over the past two years Qantas upgraded three flights from economy to business due to my frequent flyer status while travelling on parliamentary business, upgrades which I did not seek. Qantas has advised of upgrades on five personal flights to or from New Zealand between 2016 and 2018 which were not previously declared.

“Deficiencies in disclosing these matters do not meet the expectations of the Australian people and the parliament and were an oversight on my part, and for this I apologise.”

The Greens, meanwhile, demanded a blanket ban on MPs requesting or accepting free flight upgrades for personal and work-related travel, saying this would help curb potentially inappropriate behaviour from politicians and prevent airlines from wielding undue influence.

Senator McKenzie, the opposition’s transport spokeswoman since June 2022, was forced to conduct an audit of her travel after her parliamentary register showed a Qantas upgrade in 2018.

But there are not expected to be any consequences for the ­Nationals Senate leader, with neither the Coalition leadership nor the Labor government saying she should be sacked or resign as they attempt to kill off the upgrades saga.

Senator McKenzie’s colleagues said she had been “foolish”, “clumsy” and had “stuffed up” in pursuing the Prime Minister over his flight upgrades while failing to have her own house in order, but they didn’t believe it would be a sackable offence.

Several Nationals MPs predicted leader David Littleproud wouldn’t ask Senator McKenzie to resign from the frontbench because he was reliant on her support in the partyroom. They said Peter Dutton wouldn’t do anything about it to upset Mr Littleproud.

“She’s safe as houses. If Littleproud sacks her, he loses a vote and he can’t afford to,” a Nationals MP said.

Another added: “David won’t try and upset the apple cart. The only issue for David is he wants to keep his numbers. She’s a number for him. Dutton won’t want to upset Littleproud so she’s safe.”

Transport Minister Catherine King refused to call for Senator McKenzie to resign from the ­Coalition’s frontbench. “It’s up to Senator McKenzie to explain why she doesn’t live by the standards she sets for others,” Ms King said.

Senator McKenzie wrote to Qantas, Virgin and Rex last Wednesday asking them to provide her with a full history of upgrades and flights she may have been in receipt of since she entered parliament in 2011.

She heard back from all three airlines as of Tuesday night.

Opposition Treasury spokesman Angus Taylor said if Senator McKenzie had made an error, it should be corrected.

“Any upgrade, like any benefit given to a politician, needs to be declared,” he told ABC radio.

“The real issue here is this: we have a Prime Minister who, when transport minister … is alleged to have actively reached out and lobbied for personal upgrades. That’s inappropriate.”

Queensland Nationals senator Matt Canavan said Senator McKenzie wouldn’t resign as a shadow minister and she had his full support. “Bridget is doing an excellent job,” he said.

NSW Nationals senator Ross Cadell added: “It was a stuff up, she actually owned it and did what others should do and did a proper audit.

“Airlines should come clean and let (us) know, I would authorise them to show my flight history. Let’s see how many amended disclosures happen over the Christmas break before we heed the call for blood. Best guess is there will be more.”

Mr Albanese has denied personally soliciting an upgrade from former Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce or anyone else at the airline but has been unable to say whether any member of his staff has over his nearly three decades in parliament.

ACT independent senator David Pocock questioned how the consequence for Senator McKenzie could be “nothing”.

“A system with no accountability only fuels the already ­declining public trust in politics,” he said.

Before revealing she was looking into her own flight upgrades, Senator McKenzie had vowed to try and establish a Senate inquiry to question Mr Joyce about his relationship with Mr Albanese and any involvement in his upgrades.

A handbook for senators published in June 2022 states each senator must provide a statement of interests “within 28 days of making and subscribing an oath or affirmation of allegiance AND within 28 days after the first meeting of a new Senate”.

They are also required to notify the Senate of any alteration in these interests within 35 days of the alteration occurring.

Senator McKenzie resigned from cabinet in 2020 in the wake of the sports rorts scandal.

She was found to have breached ministerial standards after it was revealed a clay target club she was a member of received a grant of $36,000 under a government grants program she was responsible for.