Joe Hockey hits back at Helloworld ‘nonsense’

Joe Hockey says a meeting between US embassy staff and an exec from the travel company he invests in has been ‘misrepresented’.

Australia's Ambassador to the United States, Joe Hockey. Picture: Kym Smith

Joe Hockey has defended his dealings with Helloworld – of which he has a $1 million shareholding and is friends with the chief executive – declaring a meeting between US embassy staff and an executive from the travel company has been “misrepresented”.

Australia’s ambassador to the United States said it was “absolute nonsense” to suggest he owed anything to Helloworld chief executive and Liberal Party treasurer Andrew Burnes.

Former Helloworld employee Russell Carstensen, who attended the meeting with US embassy staff in 2017, accused Mr Burnes of saying “Hockey owes me” when asked how he set up the meeting in Washington.

In a statement released this afternoon, Mr Hockey said he received an email in April 2017 requesting a meeting in Washington DC from Mr Carstensen, who was the general manager of Helloworld subsidiary QBT.

The former North Sydney MP said he had previously decided to review the travel services provider for embassy staff after receiving regular complaints.

“Prior to the scheduling of the meeting, I had made the Minister Counsellor (Management) and Consul General in the embassy aware of both my friendship with Mr Burnes at Helloworld and my shareholding,” Mr Hockey said in a statement.

“I decided to join the meeting since Helloworld/QBT was, and still is, the existing approved supplier of travel to DFAT. It is normal practice for ambassadors to meet with official suppliers of services to their department.

“The meeting was a general discussion about current arrangements for the delivery of travel services in the United States and Australia. There were no commercial opportunities with the embassy offered or available.

“After the meeting, I noted to the Minister Counsellor (Management) and Consul General in the Embassy that I wanted no further engagement with Helloworld/QBT on this matter.”

Mr Hockey said he received an email from Mr Carstensen a week after the meeting, which he did not respond to.

“I forwarded it to my executive assistant and heard nothing more,” he said.

“Since that time, I have excused myself from all discussions and decisions relating to the procurement of travel services.

“The US travel arrangements have since gone to tender, nearly fifteen months after the meeting in April 2017 with Mr Carstensen. The chief financial Officer of DFAT in Canberra is the decision-maker for this ongoing tender.”