Pridať nové hodnotenie

Australian politicians are almost always opting to fly with <br> <br> Qantas on taxpayer-funded trips, despite Virgin offering cheaper <br> <br> tickets.<br> <br> <br> <br> Federal MPs flew with the national carrier for 80 per cent <br> <br> of work trips last year despite it not always being the <br> <br> cheapest route, according to travel data provided to the government.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> While politicians and their staffers are required to book the <br> <br> cheapest flight, it also has to be the most efficient, with Qantas offering the <br> <br> most routes between major cities.<br> <br> <br> <br> MPs are banned from accruing frequent flyer points <br> <br> on taxpayer-funded trips like ordinary Aussies can, but they can can receive lifetime status credits, which allows access to <br> <br> airport lounges and flight upgrades.<br> <br> <br> <br> 'How else can one explain the extraordinary dominance of Qantas <br> <br> 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> <b>'There's nothing like accruing status credits <br> <br> on someone else's dime.'</b><br> <br> <br> <br> Transport Minister Catherine King has since committed to a review of flight <br> <br> bookings by government officials which will be conducted by the Department <br> <br> of Finance this year, despite there being just two months left of 2024.<br> <br> <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 <br> <br> 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> <strong><u>The Flying Kanga-RORT - why you're footing the <br> <br> bill as airlines <a href="https://www.google.at/url?q=https://www.cheaperseeker.com/u/danceparcel2">ขาย wine</a> and dine <br> <br> pollies in VIP club</u></strong><br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> Daily Mail Australia in August revealed that nearly every single federal politician in the <br> <br> country has accepted free membership of the club.<br> <br> <br> <br> Qantas and the Albanese government have both denied the airline enjoys any disproportionate level of influence over the country's political <br> <br> classes.<br> <br> <br> <br> A Daily Mail Australia audit of the members' interest registers - in both the House of Representatives and the Senate - revealed almost 93 per cent <br> <br> 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 of his 22-person Cabinet,<br> <br> his seven-person Outer Ministry and all 12 assistant ministers.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> While most politicians declared their Qantas' privileges as a 'gift', Labor MP Marion Scrymgour <br> <br> listed her membership as her 'Chairman Lounge entitlement'.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> Daily Mail Australia in August revealed that nearly every single federal politician in the <br> <br> 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 than 60 MPs - <br> <br> including Marles, Chalmers, King, Bill Shorten, Zali Steggall <br> <br> and Tanya Plibersek - disclosing their spouses have also been granted unfettered,<br> <br> independent access to Qantas' luxurious members only lounge.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> Often touted as 'the most exclusive club in the country', membership <br> <br> 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 six opulent VIP clubs - in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Canberra and Perth airports - are suitably discreet.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> Though, once inside, the designer lounges are immediately more ostentatious, with free à <br> <br> la carte fine dining, table service, a decadent selection of wines and Champagne and a <br> <br> discreet army of dedicated lounge attendants.<br> <br> <br> <br> Membership to the club is 'priceless' - it cannot be bought for <br> <br> any amount of money nor obtained via any amount of frequent flyers points.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <strong><u>Instead, each member is hand-picked and approved by <br> <br> the company's chief executive and chairman.</u></strong><br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> Qantas