Push for corruption probe over PM Anthony Albanese’s freebies

Pressure continues to mount on Anthony Albanese, with a growing chorus calling for him to submit his past Qantas upgrades before the national watchdog as Labor MPs reveal their concerns.

Anthony Albanese is facing a growing chorus of calls to submit his past Qantas flight upgrades for scrutiny before the nation’s corruption watchdog and under ministerial standards.

Independent Senator David Pocock said the Prime Minister’s perks received while he was transport minister should be reviewed for possible breaches of the ministerial code of conduct, while the Coalition is urging Mr Albanese to refer the matter to the National Anti-Corruption Commission.

The ministerial code when Mr Albanese was transport minister in the Rudd-Gillard governments prohibited him for seeking or encouraging “any form of gift in their personal capacity”.

The PM has been accused of personally soliciting flight upgrades from former Qantas chief Alan Joyce, though has said he can only recall two direct conversations with the airline boss that related to promotional events celebrating new flights to Dubai and London, not personal travel.

But his evasiveness over the matter has triggered calls for further investigation, with Mr Pocock saying a ministerial code of conduct review was “worth doing”.

“I think we should be actually reviewing the ministerial code of conduct, our lobbying laws, to say: this is clearly a problem,” he said.

Mr Pocock questioned whether it should be okay “just to declare something”.

“Or is there actually a high expectation of our elected representatives once they’re making those decisions that affect industries to say: well, I’m not actually going to do that because I’m concerned that it creates a real of perceived conflict of interest.”

Senator David Pocock said there needed to be a review of the ministerial code of conduct. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

On Wednesday Deputy Liberal leader Sussan Ley said Mr Albanese should “refer himself” to the NACC to clear the air.

“If he wants to demonstrate that he’s done nothing wrong, then that’s exactly what he should do,” she said.

Labor MPs are growing increasingly frustrated at the distraction from the federal government’s other messaging.

But the PM’s close friend and ally, Health Minister Mark Butler, said on Wednesday morning the cabinet’s support for Mr Albanese was “completely solid”.

LABOR MPS VENT FRUSTRATION

On Tuesday the Prime Minister again defended his track record of declaring parliamentary perks on Tuesday, Labor MPs privately expressed their frustration at how personal decisions were once again “distracting” from the federal government’s messages on cost of living.

Mr Albanese dodged a direct answer when asked if he had ever asked the airline boss for an upgrade during his tenure in the transport portfolio, saying he could only recall direct conversation with Mr Joyce related promotional events related to new routes to London and Dubai.

Mr Albanese also sought to deflect criticism by incorrectly suggesting the journalist who first reported the accusation had not declared a conflict of interest, and attacking the travel of Coalition MPs.

The PM said he had always “acted with integrity” and all gifts had been “declared in accordance with the rules”.

But Opposition leader Peter Dutton on Tuesday said Mr Albanese’s response was not “coherent” and that soliciting flight upgrades as transport minister would amount to a breach of the ministerial code of conduct.

The code in place during the Rudd-Gillard government stated that ministers may “accept customary official gifts” in accordance with guidelines, but “must not seek or encourage any form of gift in their personal capacity”.

Adam Goodes, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and former Qantas CEO Alan Joyce share a laugh together. Picture: AAP Image/Dean Lewins

Asked if Mr Albanese should be referred to the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), Mr Dutton agreed.

But a spokeswoman for the PM said the flights had “been on the record for more than two decades” and the latest suggestion from Mr Dutton was a “pathetic attempt at creating a headline”.

A Labor MP said Mr Albanese’s acceptance of Qantas upgrades, while declared appropriately, were “ripe for being honed into a political attack” given the public’s declining opinion of the airline.

“It’s been easy to spin into a bad look,” they said.

Another MP said it was “frustrating” Labor had been derailed from what had been some “consistent good weeks on cost of living” firstly by the revelation Mr Albanese was purchasing a $4.3 million beachside house on The Central Coast, and now with the Qantas saga.

Mr Albanese has come under increasing pressure to explain his relationship with Mr Joyce, after journalist Joe Aston revealed in his book the PM had received at least 22 free Qantas upgrades since 2009, including several while he was transport minister.

Exclusive analysis of Mr Albanese’s archived entries in the Register of Members’ Interests since 1999 shows the PM and his then-spouse Carmel Tebbutt received eight further flight upgrades.

The flights, which were declared in line with requirements, were taken during the 39th parliament when Mr Albanese held junior opposition roles and predate Mr Joyce’s tenure as Qantas chief.

A spokeswoman for the PM’s office said these declarations “completely blows out of the water” the argument from Mr Aston that the upgrades were a result of a relationship with Mr Joyce.

“It completely vindicates that the PM has a long history of diligently making declarations in line with the rules,” she said.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is facing a barrage of criticism for soliciting Qantas upgrades from his friend Alan Joyce. Picture: NCA Newswire / Gaye Gerard

During the tense press conference on Tuesday, Mr Albanese said it was “fair enough” Mr Aston was trying to sell a book, but said he hadn’t seen any declarations the journalist had formerly staffed senior members of the Liberal Party and also worked at Qantas.

But both conflicts are mentioned on the first page of his book released this week.

Mr Albanese also tried to turn the issue onto the Coalition, criticising Mr Dutton for taking a series of private flights at the expense of billionaire Gina Rhinehart, and highlighting that Liberal frontbencher Paul Fletcher accepted 69 upgrades over his career.

But the volume of upgrades received by Mr Fletcher was largely because the Sydney-based MP routinely books short flights as economy, despite parliamentarians being eligible for business class.

Asked if he had ever discussed flights with Mr Joyce, Mr Albanese said the only discussions he could “recall” with the former CEO were related to promotional events for the first flight from Australia to Dubai on an A380 and the first direct flight between Perth and London.

“Every other flight, I paid for,” he said. “Every other flight.”

Mr Albanese said 10 of the 22 flight upgrades he had received since 2009 were taken during a one-month period in 2013 during the Labor leadership ballot between him and now-NDIS Minster Bill Shorten.

No transport minister since Mr Albanese received flight upgrades while they were in charge of the portfolio.

Originally published as Push for corruption probe over PM Anthony Albanese’s freebies