Pridať nové hodnotenie

Australian politicians are almost always opting to <br> <br> fly with Qantas on taxpayer-funded trips, despite Virgin offering cheaper tickets.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> Federal MPs flew with the national carrier for 80 per cent of work trips last <br> <br> year despite it not always being the cheapest route,<br> <br> according to travel data provided to the government.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> While politicians and their staffers are required to book the cheapest <br> <br> flight, it also has to be the most efficient, with Qantas offering the most routes between major cities.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> MPs are banned from accruing frequent flyer points on taxpayer-funded trips like ordinary Aussies can, but they <br> <br> can can receive lifetime status credits, which allows access to airport lounges and flight upgrades.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> 'How else can one explain the extraordinary dominance of Qantas in securing bookings by parliamentarians and their staff?' Myriam Robin wrote <br> <br> in an opinion piece for the Australian Financial Review.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <b>'There's nothing like accruing status credits on someone else's dime.'</b><br> <br> <br> <br> Transport Minister Catherine King has since committed to a review of flight bookings by government officials <br> <br> which will be conducted by the Department of Finance this year, despite there being <br> <br> just two months left of 2024.<br> <br> <br> <br> Politicians' preference for Qantas may also be put down to the airline's exclusive invite-only 'Chairman's Lounge'.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> Australian politicians are almost always opting to fly with Qantas on taxpayer-funded trips, despite Virgin offering cheaper tickets.<br> <br> <br> <br> (pictured is Anthony Albanese, with former Qantas boss Alan Joyce, and fiancee Jodie Haydon)<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> Read More<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> EXCLUSIVE<br> <br> <br> <br> <u><i>The Flying Kanga-RORT - why you're footing the bill as airlines <br> <br> wine and dine pollies in VIP club</i></u><br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> Daily Mail Australia in August revealed that nearly every single federal politician in the country <br> <br> has accepted free membership of the club.<br> <br> <br> <br> Qantas and the Albanese government have both denied the airline enjoys any <br> <br> disproportionate level of influence over the country's <br> <br> political classes.<br> <br> <br> <br> A Daily Mail Australia audit of the members' interest registers - in both the House of Representatives <br> <br> and the Senate - revealed almost 93 per cent of the nation's leaders have been 'gifted' membership to the lavish, all-inclusive lounge.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> The high profile ranks of government giftees include Prime Minister Anthony Albanese as well as every member <br> <br> of his 22-person Cabinet, his seven-person Outer Ministry and all 12 assistant ministers.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> While most politicians declared their Qantas' privileges as <br> <br> a 'gift', Labor MP Marion Scrymgour listed her membership as her 'Chairman Lounge <br> <br> entitlement'.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> Daily Mail Australia in August revealed that nearly every <br> <br> single federal politician in the country has accepted free membership of Qantas' exclusive Chairman's Lounge.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> And it's not just politicians on the take, with more <br> <br> than 60 MPs - including Marles, Chalmers, King, Bill <br> <br> Shorten, Zali Steggall and Tanya Plibersek - disclosing their spouses have also been granted unfettered, independent <br> <br> access to Qantas' luxurious members only lounge.<br> <br> <br> <br> Often touted as 'the most exclusive club in the country', membership to the Chairman's Lounge has long been veiled in secrecy.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> Even the entrances to each of the country's <br> <br> six opulent VIP clubs - in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Canberra and Perth airports - <br> <br> are suitably discreet.<br> <br> <br> <br> Though, once inside, the designer lounges are immediately more ostentatious, with free <br> <br> à la carte fine dining, table service, a decadent selection of wines <br> <br> and Champagne and a discreet army of dedicated lounge attendants.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> Membership to the club is 'priceless' - it cannot be <br> <br> bought for any amount of money nor obtained via any amount of frequent flyers <br> <br> points.<br> <br> <br> <br> <b>Instead, each member is hand-picked and approved by the company's chief executive and <br> <br> chairman.</b><br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> Qantas<br> <br> <br> <br> Review my web site - <a href="http://Art-Metall.su/user/RickeyFairbanks/">ดอกไม้แสดงความรัก</a>