Anthony Albanese has tried to claim his relationship with <br>
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Alan Joyce was a strictly professional one between a Prime <br>
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Minister and a corporate titan, as he battles claims the Qantas boss was his <br>
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'personal travel agent' for free flights and upgrades.<br>
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However that characterization of the relationship was at odds with that made by Mr <br>
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Joyce, who said he was 'good mates' with Mr Albanese and had been 'for years'.<br>
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In the wake of the explosive claims that the <br>
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Prime Minister had Mr Joyce arrange free tickets and upgrades, Mr Albanese distanced <br>
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himself from the Qantas chief.<br>
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When asked about about their relationship on Sunday Mr Albanese <br>
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implied it was purely in a professional capacity, having been Transport Minister <br>
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and shadow transport spokesperson before becoming Prime Minister. <br>
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'He (Joyce) was the CEO of the national airline ...<br>
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I had the same relationship with him that I have with John Borghetti as the CEO of <br>
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Virgin,' Mr Albanese said.<br>
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That assessment was at odds with the many photos showing Mr Albanese and Mr Joyce apparently <br>
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greatly enjoying each other's company. <br>
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Mr Albanese and Mr Joyce were pictured in high spirits on the <br>
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red carpet at the Qantas 100th Gala Dinner in March last <br>
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year.<br>
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In photos from the event, Mr Joyce proudly walks <br>
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the red carpet with one arm around the prime minister and the other around <br>
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Mr Albanese's partner, Jodie Haydon.<br>
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Just five months later, in August, a smiling Mr Albanese attended <br>
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Qantas's unveiling of it's special 'Yes 23' emblazoned airplanes <br>
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for the Voice referendum.<br>
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Former Qantas CEO Alan Joyce jovially walked the red carpet <br>
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with one arm around the prime minister and the other around his partner,<br>
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Jodie Haydon for a special anniversary event last year<br>
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Mr Joyce was seen touching Mr Albanese's arm, with the PM bursting into laughter.<br>
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Even when Scott Morrison was PM, Mr Joyce enjoyed an apparently <br>
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close relationship with Mr Albanese as the pair stood close together at the launch of the Qantas' landmark Perth to London flight in March, 2018. <br>
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During a Senate hearing in September 2023,<br>
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Mr Joyce said he had been 'friends for years' with Mr <br>
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Albanese.<br>
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Asked about why he gifted Mr Albanese's son Nathan a membership <br>
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to the prestigious and exclusive Chairman's Lounge Mr <br>
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Joyce refused to confirm or deny but talked up his relationship with the Prime Minister.<br>
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'I've been good mates with Albo for some time,' Mr Joyce said. <br>
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However, the then Qantas CEO refused to say whether he lobbied the Prime Minister on the controversial <br>
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decision to lock competitor Qatar Airways out of domestic routes.<br>
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It has since emerged in a new book about Qantas, The Chairman's Lounge, by former <br>
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Australian Financial Review columnist Joe Aston that Ms Haydon is also a Chairman's <br>
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Lounge member. <br>
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Mr Albanese and Mr Joyce also appeared to greatly enjoying each other's company at a Qantas event in August last year<br>
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Reports have emerged in a new book Mr Albanese received 22 upgrades from economy <br>
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from Qantas and he would liaise personally with the former airline boss for <br>
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them. <br>
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Aston also alleged Mr Albanese directly contacted Mr Joyce while in his various parliamentary jobs to ask for special upgrades for <br>
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himself or his family.<br>
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According to unnamed Qantas 'insiders' 11 of the 22 flights Mr <br>
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Albanese received upgrades for were 'privately funded' <br>
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and included overseas trips to Rome, London, Los Angeles and Honolulu, with some being for holidays.<br>
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Mr Albanese insisted on Tuesday that the London flights was for work <br>
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purposes and all were 'declared in the appropriate way'. <br>
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Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has leapt on the accusations <br>
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describing Mr Albanese as being the 'best friend' of Mr Joyce. <br>
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Mr Dutton told Sky News on Monday night it was 'strange' Mr Albanese had directly contacted Mr Joyce to request <br>
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upgrades while holding a regulatory position in the transport sector.<br>
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'If you're the Transport Minister and you're picking up the phone to one of the <br>
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most important stakeholders in the portfolio asking for a free upgrade, then again, I think the Prime Minister would be able <br>
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to answer those questions more effectively than anyone else because I'm not aware of anyone else having done it,' Mr Dutton said.<br>
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It has since emerged that Ms Haydon also has membership of the Qantas Chairman's <br>
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Lounge<br>
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The Prime Minister denied frequently asking Mr Joyce for upgrades on Tuesday at press conference in the NSW city of Newcastle.<br>
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'The only discussions that I can recall with Alan Joyce certainly were not discussed <br>
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through calls - we discussed the first flight from Australia to Dubai on the A380,' he said.<br>
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'I've declared everything in accordance with all of the rules.'<br>
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Aston was asked on Monday night by ABC interviewer Sarah Ferguson about how confident he was that Mr Albanese had made calls personally to Mr Joyce for upgrades.<br>
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'I am very comfortable with my sourcing,' Aston said.<br>
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Asked whether he thought Mr Albanese had been influenced by Mr <br>
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Joyce's lobbying to block UAE airline Qatar domestically Aston said <br>
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it was 'implausible' to think that the Prime Minister's office had nothing to do with <br>
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the decision.<br>
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Mr Albanese's son Nathan, 24, has reportedly also been granted access to the Qantas Chairman's Lounge (pictured, <br>
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Mr Albanese and son Nathan in May, 2022)<br>
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'It's very hard to imagine a decision of any political sensitivity <br>
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in the Albanese government that would not go through the Prime <br>
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Minister's office,' Aston replied.<br>
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He noted the opening up of the Australian domestic market Qatar had seemingly been sailing through with <br>
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Transport Minister Catherine King speaking warmly about the proposal until 'everything changed' to stop it dead in tracks. <br>
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Ms King repeatedly denied in parliament the decision to block Qatar was due to Qantas <br>
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lobbying her or any Labor colleagues.<br>
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Despite Mr Albanese claiming he declared every upgrade received from Qantas the Australian Financial Review reported on Tuesday that he <br>
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failed to do for his former wife Carmel Tebbutt when the two traveled together.<br>
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Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has questioned the alleged personal <br>
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requests Mr Albanese made to Mr Joyce while in his various parliamentary jobs<br>
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Even when Scott Morrison was prime minister, Mr Joyce appeared to have a close relationship with Mr Albanese (the pair are pictured at an event in 2019)<br>
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Sky New host Sharri Markson on Monday night labeled Mr Joyce as 'basically Albanese's personal travel agent.'<br>
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'This is all a question of integrity. Most Australians struggle to afford even an economy airfare.<br>
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They'd never be able to afford the luxury of business class.<br>
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It's out of our reach,' she said.<br>
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'Can Albanese truly be impartial when it comes <br>
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to making decisions about Qantas when he's been getting tens of thousands of dollars worth of free upgrades to business <br>
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class? The revelations puts the decision he made as transport minister and prime minister <br>
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under a cloud.<br>
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'Aside from the integrity issues, this revelation is <br>
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also politically lethal. Albanese took care to curate <br>
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a self-image of a housing commission boy who made it.<br>
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But now the perception is cementing of a long-term pollie enjoying the <br>
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perks of public office.'<br>
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Another awkward paradox of Mr Albanese's apparent close relationship with Mr Joyce is that the Labor leader in a trade unionist advocate while Qantas <br>
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attempted to break the power of the Transport Workers Union by sacking 1700 staff <br>
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during Covid. <br>
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The sacking has since been ruled illegal by Federal Court in a case <br>
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brought by the union with Qantas facing possible hundreds of thousands in compensation payouts. <br>
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The friendship however did find one perhaps unlikely defender in semi-retired 3AW radio star Neil Mitchell. <br>
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'Quick test: upgrade Albo is a bad look,' Mitchell wrote on X.<br>
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'But does anybody believe he was seriously compromised by <br>
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having Alan Joyce as a bestie? Time to rewrite rules <br>
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governing politicians.' <br>
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WHAT IS THE QANTAS CHAIRMAN'S CLUB?<br>
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The Qantas Chairman's Lounge is an invitation-only club approved by <br>
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the company chairman, with the guest list a closely-guarded secret.<br>
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It has been dubbed ¿the most exclusive club in the country¿ <br>
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and comes with a distinct black card.<br>
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Members include senior-ranking MPs including ministers, state premiers and the Prime <br>
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Minister, leaders of major unions and sporting groups, Qantas ambassadors, selected <br>
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A-list celebrities, major corporate figures and high-profile media personalities.<br>
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The clubs can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide but <br>
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are not signed, you have to know where to look.<br>
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Inside you will find expensive wood and brass furnishings,<br>
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wool carpet and marble flooring all bathed in natural light. <br>
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Members enjoy fine à la carte dining with a complimentary premium array of beers, <br>
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spirits and Australian wines. Wine bottles are often given as departing gift<br>
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Facilities may also include spas, showers and <br>
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an assortment of books and magazines.<br>
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Members may bring in two guests at a time. <br>
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Lounge attendants personally alert you when your flight is to board and your personal preferences <br>
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are logged for each flight. Membership also entitles you to first-class facilities at Qantas partner airlines.<br>
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free upgrades where they are available and a hotline to <br>
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Qantas's customer service for any and all travel <br>
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needs. <br>
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Source: Executive Traveller<br>
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LondonAnthony AlbaneseQantas<br>
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Anthony Albanese has tried to