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Anthony Albanese has denied contacting – in any way – the former Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce or any other airline staff to seek flight upgrades.
The prime minister’s office on Thursday confirmed Albanese did not contact Joyce by phone, email, text message or any other direct means, and also did not directly contact Qantas government relations executive Andrew Parker, as has been alleged in other media reports, or any other airline staff to seek an upgrade.
The prime minister had on Wednesday issued a carefully worded statement that ruled out Albanese making phone calls to Joyce in search of better tickets.
Albanese reportedly told 2GB radio host Ben Fordham on Wednesday that it had taken six days to answer key questions over the escalating upgrades saga because his office had been poring over years of correspondence.
The prime minister had been evasive following a weekend news report that he – as transport minister, shadow minister and opposition leader – liaised directly with Joyce about travel arrangements.
Wednesday’s statement that Albanese “did not ever call Alan Joyce seeking an upgrade” raised questions about whether there had been texts, emails or other contact with the then-CEO or others at Qantas.
Albanese has argued he booked flights using Qantas’ booking system in the normal way. He has not clarified whether that included using a direct line available for members of the invitation-only Qantas Chairmans’ Lounge – to which nearly all federal politicians have been gifted membership.
He has also not clarified whether any Qantas executive may have been involved in arranging upgrades with his office – only noting that Albanese did not personally seek upgrades.
The prime minister’s explanation for the initial delay in responding was that it had taken a number of days to go back through decades of records concerning more than 6,000 flights to check the circumstances of any upgraded travel.
A spokesperson for Albanese said on Thursday the Coalition had questions to answer about its travel arrangements.
“The only people that need to look at the rules are [shadow transport minister] Bridget McKenzie and Peter Dutton. They’ve got some serious explaining to do,” the said.
McKenzie was investigating her history of flight upgrades, the Australian Financial Review reported on Wednesday.
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The Victorian senator had been critical of Albanese’s upgrades before it was revealed she also received flight upgrades. The AFR reported she was reviewing her entire travel record since being elected in 2011.
Thursday’s response from Albanese’s office confirmed Fordham’s reporting. He said on air he spoke to Albanese on Wednesday night and the prime minister denied ever texting or emailing Joyce, or ever sharing any of his travel plans with the former airline chief, or having another contact at Qantas he would seek upgrades from.
Fordam said on Thursday morning he asked: “Was there someone else at Qantas you were seeking upgrades from or sharing your travel plans with? Again, the PM replied ‘No’.”
The 2GB breakfast host said he also asked why Albanese had waited so long to deny the allegation he’d sought upgrades.
“The prime minister says it’s taken a number of days to go through all of his records. He says he’s checked his history of text messages with Alan Joyce, and there’s nothing there about upgrades,” Fordham told his listeners.
“The PM says he didn’t want to come out earlier in the week and issue a complete denial in case he’d missed something. That’s why he ordered an internal audit of his records. Now, several days after this first blew up, Anthony Albanese says it didn’t happen. No calls, no texts, no emails.”