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Bowen defends use of two jets for one photo op with PM for renewables
By Olivia Ireland and Matthew Knott
Energy Minister Chris Bowen has defended using two separate Royal Australian Air Force jets to take him and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to the NSW Hunter Valley to promote a renewables fund.
As part of promoting the government’s $1 billion Solar Sunshot scheme on Thursday, Albanese travelled with Bowen, Industry and Science Minister Ed Husic, Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy and Hunter MP Dan Repacholi to speak from the decommissioned Liddell Power Station south of Muswellbrook.
The two RAAF jets at the airport in Scone.Credit: 2GB
On Monday, a photo of two separate RAAF jets at Scone Memorial Airport in the Upper Hunter was reported by 2GB’s Ben Fordham, igniting backlash from the Coalition on the misuse of public funds.
Both jets flew from Canberra on Thursday, but Albanese’s plane then took him to another location in the Hunter Valley to make an announcement about China lifting wine tariffs, while Bowen’s flew him to Sydney.
“The prime minister is entitled to the use of a private jet and what would typically occur is a minister ... would hitch a ride with the prime minister,” Coalition social services spokesman Michael Sukkar said on 2GB.
“But to take a second plane for himself is something that I think is remarkable, is a grotesque use of taxpayers’ dollars.”
Speaking from western Sydney later on Monday morning, Bowen defended the use of two jets and said the RAAF advised the most efficient way was to land at Scone airport, which was not equipped for the prime minister’s usual plane.
“The prime minister has a large jet available to him, that would normally be what we take, the runway at Scone wasn’t strong enough to take a large jet so the air force recommended a decision to use two small jets,” Bowen said.
Asked if it was impossible for all ministers to use one jet, Bowen said one plane would not have fitted in all the staff who attended the press conference.
“As you can imagine, a prime ministerial visit, two cabinet ministers, we limited the number of staff and, even then, the air force advice was [two jets] was the most efficient way of getting us there,” Bowen said.
Media advisers, staffers and office photographers were present for the launch. It is not known how many were on the planes.
Energy Minister Chris Bowen has defended the use of two separate RAAF jets last week.Credit: Peter Rae
The Albanese government has previously had to defend its use of RAAF jets, as, in August last year, Defence Minister Richard Marles controversially refused to reveal his flights on the VIP aircraft, which were reported at the time to have cost more than $3.6 million.
A further data dump in December last year also revealed Albanese spent more than $3.3 million from July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023, on VIP flights.
Marles also spent more than $2.1 million on VIP flights from July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023.
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