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