Australian PM Anthony Albanese said he had asked for his son to be given access to the Chairman’s Lounge in place of a partner. SYDNEY – Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is under pressure to explain his relationship with Qantas Airways Ltd after allegations he received a raft of free upgrades from the airline and liaised directly about his flights with ex-boss Alan Joyce. In his past parliamentary portfolios as transport minister and opposition transport spokesman, and sometimes on private trips, Mr Albanese accepted gifts worth tens of thousands of dollars from Qantas, according to a new book by former Australian Financial Review columnist Joe Aston.
In some cases, Mr Albanese didn’t specify whether he was upgraded to first or business class, making it impossible to determine the precise value of the benefit, Mr Aston wrote. Mr Aston cited Qantas insiders as saying Mr Albanese would communicate about his personal travel directly with Mr Joyce, the former Qantas chief executive officer who stepped down prematurely in 2023 after a series of corporate missteps . Mr Aston’s book, The Chairman’s Lounge: The Inside Story of How Qantas Sold Us Out, was released on Oct 28.
Responding to the allegations, Mr Albanese said: “From time to time, members of parliament receive upgrades. What’s important is that they are declared. All of mine have been declared.
” The prime minister said he had the same relationship with Mr Joyce as he did with the head of rival air.