Australian politicians are almost always opting to fly with Qantas on taxpayer-funded trips,<br>
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despite Virgin offering cheaper tickets.<br>
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Federal MPs flew with the national carrier for <br>
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80 per cent of work trips last year despite it not always being the cheapest route, according <br>
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to travel data provided to the government.<br>
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While politicians and their staffers are required to <br>
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book the cheapest flight, it also has to be the most efficient, with Qantas 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 status credits, which allows access to airport lounges and flight upgrades.<br>
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'How else can one explain the extraordinary dominance of Qantas in securing bookings <br>
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by parliamentarians and their staff?' Myriam Robin wrote in an opinion piece for the 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 <br>
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year, despite there being just two months left of 2024.<br>
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Politicians' preference for Qantas may also be put down to <br>
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the airline's exclusive invite-only 'Chairman's Lounge'.<br>
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Australian politicians are almost always opting to fly with Qantas <br>
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on taxpayer-funded trips, despite Virgin offering cheaper tickets.<br>
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(pictured is Anthony Albanese, with former Qantas <br>
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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 wine and <br>
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dine pollies in VIP club<br>
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Daily Mail Australia in August revealed <br>
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that nearly every single federal politician in the country has accepted 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 <br>
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influence over the country's political classes.<br>
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A Daily Mail Australia audit of the members' interest registers - <br>
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in both the House of Representatives and the Senate - revealed almost <br>
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93 per cent of the nation's leaders have been 'gifted' membership to the <br>
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lavish, all-inclusive lounge.<br>
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The high profile ranks of government giftees include Prime Minister Anthony Albanese <br>
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as well as every member of his 22-person Cabinet, his seven-person Outer Ministry <br>
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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 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 free membership of Qantas' <br>
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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,<br>
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Bill Shorten, Zali Steggall and Tanya Plibersek - disclosing their <br>
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spouses have also been granted unfettered, independent access to Qantas' luxurious <br>
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members 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 <br>
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in secrecy.<br>
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Even the entrances to each of the country's six opulent VIP clubs - in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane,<br>
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Adelaide, Canberra and Perth airports - 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, <br>
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table service, a decadent selection of wines and Champagne and a discreet <br>
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army of dedicated lounge attendants.<br>
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Membership to the club is 'priceless' - it cannot be bought for any amount of <br>
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money nor obtained via any 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