1 00:00:03,840 --> 00:00:06,800 Speaker 1: From the Australian. Here's what's on the front. I'm Claire Harvey. 2 00:00:06,880 --> 00:00:15,040 Speaker 1: It's Friday, November one. An indigenous activist group, the convinced 3 00:00:15,160 --> 00:00:18,720 Speaker 1: Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek to block a million dollar gold 4 00:00:18,760 --> 00:00:23,560 Speaker 1: mine in Blaney, has formed. The Australian is exclusively revealing 5 00:00:23,640 --> 00:00:28,600 Speaker 1: the Wiradjuri Elders group successfully opposed a bathist go kart 6 00:00:28,760 --> 00:00:32,959 Speaker 1: track in twenty nineteen. That story's live right now at 7 00:00:33,040 --> 00:00:39,479 Speaker 1: The Australian dot com Dot you. An upgrade to business 8 00:00:39,479 --> 00:00:44,479 Speaker 1: class has never been this uncomfortable. Anthony Alberinezi is seeking 9 00:00:44,520 --> 00:00:48,400 Speaker 1: to reassure his ministers he's done nothing wrong and is 10 00:00:48,440 --> 00:00:53,200 Speaker 1: the victim of unfair media reporting over allegations he solicited 11 00:00:53,320 --> 00:00:59,040 Speaker 1: Quantus flight upgrades, and now the coalition's transport spokeswoman is 12 00:00:59,120 --> 00:01:08,600 Speaker 1: facing question of her own. That's today's episode. If you've 13 00:01:08,680 --> 00:01:12,039 Speaker 1: ever been in Canberra on a Thursday night as Parliament 14 00:01:12,160 --> 00:01:14,920 Speaker 1: is rising for the week, you'll know you need to 15 00:01:14,959 --> 00:01:18,680 Speaker 1: stand back as politicians stampede to the airport. 16 00:01:19,240 --> 00:01:21,080 Speaker 2: They cannot get out of here fast enough. 17 00:01:21,640 --> 00:01:25,160 Speaker 1: Rosie Lewis is The Australian's political correspondent, and we're talking 18 00:01:25,200 --> 00:01:27,800 Speaker 1: about a story that's blown up in the face of 19 00:01:27,920 --> 00:01:31,959 Speaker 1: Labor and to a lesser extent, the Coalition in recent days. 20 00:01:32,760 --> 00:01:37,760 Speaker 1: It's about politician's cozy relationship with Quantus and it's turning 21 00:01:37,760 --> 00:01:40,840 Speaker 1: into one of those political scandals where you never know 22 00:01:41,280 --> 00:01:44,120 Speaker 1: who's going to have their ankles bitten next. 23 00:01:44,640 --> 00:01:49,760 Speaker 2: The fallout from there has been extremely messy for the 24 00:01:49,840 --> 00:01:53,880 Speaker 2: Prime Minister and we still what is it five six 25 00:01:53,960 --> 00:01:58,920 Speaker 2: days in, have unanswered questions. More questions continue emerging. 26 00:02:00,240 --> 00:02:03,600 Speaker 1: It started on Saturday when extracts were published of a 27 00:02:03,600 --> 00:02:07,320 Speaker 1: new book by Joe Aston, a former columnist with nine 28 00:02:07,520 --> 00:02:11,680 Speaker 1: Entertainment in his book. Aston, who's a former staffer for 29 00:02:11,800 --> 00:02:15,000 Speaker 1: PM John Howard and Treasury Joe Hockey, and he also 30 00:02:15,040 --> 00:02:17,600 Speaker 1: worked at Countus in the early days of his career 31 00:02:17,639 --> 00:02:22,440 Speaker 1: before becoming a journalist. He's alleged Anthony Albanezi has received 32 00:02:22,560 --> 00:02:27,520 Speaker 1: free upgrades from Quantus on domestic and international flights booked 33 00:02:27,639 --> 00:02:31,160 Speaker 1: not for work, but for himself and his family on 34 00:02:31,280 --> 00:02:32,240 Speaker 1: private travel. 35 00:02:32,800 --> 00:02:37,720 Speaker 2: The Prime Minister then held a press conference on Sunday. 36 00:02:38,280 --> 00:02:42,960 Speaker 3: From time to time, members of Parliament receive upgrades. What's 37 00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:46,400 Speaker 3: important is that they are declared. All of mine have 38 00:02:46,520 --> 00:02:47,720 Speaker 3: been declared. 39 00:02:47,720 --> 00:02:52,840 Speaker 2: That in my view, answered very few questions. When the 40 00:02:52,880 --> 00:02:57,160 Speaker 2: coverage continued and really only ramped up from there. The 41 00:02:57,160 --> 00:03:00,519 Speaker 2: Prime Minister, i think, tried to nip it in the 42 00:03:00,560 --> 00:03:05,160 Speaker 2: bud on Tuesday, but again made the problem worse with 43 00:03:05,240 --> 00:03:07,680 Speaker 2: a very confused press conference. 44 00:03:07,960 --> 00:03:10,600 Speaker 1: Did you call Alan Joyce personally for these upgrades? 45 00:03:10,639 --> 00:03:17,400 Speaker 3: Look, the idea quannas have a number in terms of 46 00:03:17,800 --> 00:03:21,239 Speaker 3: bookings that are my private bookings. 47 00:03:21,639 --> 00:03:24,480 Speaker 2: It was genuinely hard to understand what he was trying 48 00:03:24,520 --> 00:03:28,040 Speaker 2: to say as to when he had or hadn't spoken 49 00:03:28,080 --> 00:03:31,679 Speaker 2: to Alan Joyce, whether he had in fact solicited these 50 00:03:31,720 --> 00:03:36,240 Speaker 2: flight upgrades for personal travel, particularly personal overseas travel with 51 00:03:36,760 --> 00:03:39,720 Speaker 2: family members. That's at the heart of the sort of 52 00:03:39,800 --> 00:03:43,880 Speaker 2: bad look for al Ben Easy. Obviously, at some point, 53 00:03:44,120 --> 00:03:47,120 Speaker 2: maybe early on or maybe later, he and his office 54 00:03:47,400 --> 00:03:50,840 Speaker 2: realized that they needed to do a much better job 55 00:03:51,160 --> 00:03:54,600 Speaker 2: than they had done in clarifying exactly what had gone on. 56 00:03:55,000 --> 00:03:58,560 Speaker 2: So they were going back through his records, flight records 57 00:03:58,600 --> 00:04:02,560 Speaker 2: over nearly thirty years of his parliamentary career in the background, 58 00:04:02,840 --> 00:04:06,160 Speaker 2: and we then got a fairly late statement just before 59 00:04:06,200 --> 00:04:09,880 Speaker 2: six o'clock on Wednesday night. It was just a couple 60 00:04:09,880 --> 00:04:13,000 Speaker 2: of lines on record and the key being that he 61 00:04:13,080 --> 00:04:17,440 Speaker 2: had never called Alan Joyce. What we didn't get was 62 00:04:17,480 --> 00:04:21,880 Speaker 2: clarification as to whether he had spoken with Alan Joyce 63 00:04:22,240 --> 00:04:26,440 Speaker 2: in any other way ie text or email. What we 64 00:04:26,520 --> 00:04:31,240 Speaker 2: didn't get was clarification whether his office had spoken to 65 00:04:31,279 --> 00:04:34,160 Speaker 2: anyone at Quantas or the Prime Minister had spoken to 66 00:04:34,200 --> 00:04:37,960 Speaker 2: anyone at Quantus. So there was then more clarifying background 67 00:04:38,040 --> 00:04:41,320 Speaker 2: on Thursday morning from his office saying there had been 68 00:04:41,360 --> 00:04:45,320 Speaker 2: no other communication with Alan Joyce, And we know that 69 00:04:45,600 --> 00:04:49,560 Speaker 2: the Prime Minister spoke with two GB's Ben Fordham on 70 00:04:49,640 --> 00:04:52,320 Speaker 2: Wednesday night, ruling out a heap of things that he 71 00:04:52,880 --> 00:04:56,400 Speaker 2: himself had not spoken to Joyce or anyone else at 72 00:04:56,440 --> 00:04:58,200 Speaker 2: Quantas asking for an upgrade. 73 00:04:58,600 --> 00:05:01,880 Speaker 4: The question was asked, did you ever text Alan Joyce 74 00:05:01,960 --> 00:05:07,839 Speaker 4: about flight upgrades? The PM's answer no. Did you ever 75 00:05:07,960 --> 00:05:12,839 Speaker 4: email Alan Joyce about flight upgrades? The PM's answer again no. 76 00:05:13,600 --> 00:05:18,880 Speaker 2: The outstanding question now is did anyone in his office 77 00:05:19,320 --> 00:05:22,360 Speaker 2: do this? Did anyone in his office ring a particular 78 00:05:22,400 --> 00:05:25,599 Speaker 2: person or a particular phone number, and in doing so 79 00:05:26,040 --> 00:05:30,880 Speaker 2: were they effectively guaranteed an upgrade? The background I received 80 00:05:30,920 --> 00:05:36,200 Speaker 2: on Wednesday was that many different staff members, as you'd expect, 81 00:05:36,440 --> 00:05:39,400 Speaker 2: booked the Prime Minister's travel over his many years in 82 00:05:39,440 --> 00:05:44,320 Speaker 2: Parliament through the normal channels and upgrades were given in 83 00:05:44,480 --> 00:05:48,160 Speaker 2: the usual way to all politicians. 84 00:05:49,960 --> 00:05:53,240 Speaker 1: So why does it matter, Well, because Albanezie was the 85 00:05:53,279 --> 00:05:56,839 Speaker 1: Minister for Transport in Labour's former government, Danny was Opposition 86 00:05:56,960 --> 00:06:00,599 Speaker 1: transport spokesman, and Quantus is one of the country most 87 00:06:00,760 --> 00:06:05,560 Speaker 1: powerful businesses. It's a huge provider of travel to government employees, 88 00:06:06,040 --> 00:06:10,760 Speaker 1: including bureaucrats and politicians, and government has a critical role 89 00:06:10,920 --> 00:06:17,040 Speaker 1: in regulating Quantas and the aviation market, including any potential competitors. 90 00:06:17,640 --> 00:06:20,560 Speaker 5: The Transport Minister says the treatment of Australian women who 91 00:06:20,560 --> 00:06:25,000 Speaker 5: are subjected to invasive body searches at Doha Airport was 92 00:06:25,160 --> 00:06:28,360 Speaker 5: a factor in her decision to block extra cutter Airways 93 00:06:28,440 --> 00:06:31,640 Speaker 5: flights into the country. Catherine King says it was just 94 00:06:31,760 --> 00:06:34,920 Speaker 5: one factor but won't say what the others were, denying 95 00:06:34,960 --> 00:06:38,440 Speaker 5: accusations that it was Quantus that influenced her decision. 96 00:06:39,040 --> 00:06:42,960 Speaker 1: And it's a tough corporate player, embroiled in workplace dramas 97 00:06:43,360 --> 00:06:46,880 Speaker 1: like other big businesses. Free Form Aquantus workers who were 98 00:06:46,880 --> 00:06:49,520 Speaker 1: sacked during the pandemic have had a big win in 99 00:06:49,560 --> 00:06:53,400 Speaker 1: the Federal court. It's possible. I suppose rosy that Quantus 100 00:06:53,440 --> 00:06:57,480 Speaker 1: has a system that flags when a VIP books a 101 00:06:57,520 --> 00:07:00,880 Speaker 1: flight and automatically upgrades them, or just make sure that 102 00:07:00,880 --> 00:07:03,039 Speaker 1: that is sorted out. If that turns out to be 103 00:07:03,080 --> 00:07:05,279 Speaker 1: the case, is that the end of it? Or is 104 00:07:05,320 --> 00:07:06,279 Speaker 1: that also problematic? 105 00:07:06,320 --> 00:07:06,720 Speaker 3: Do you think? 106 00:07:07,120 --> 00:07:10,120 Speaker 2: I think it's much less problematic. But the problem for 107 00:07:10,200 --> 00:07:13,160 Speaker 2: the Prime Minister is the damage to an extent has 108 00:07:13,200 --> 00:07:16,680 Speaker 2: already been done. The government has been completely off message 109 00:07:16,960 --> 00:07:22,120 Speaker 2: and completely distracted by something that should have and could 110 00:07:22,240 --> 00:07:24,600 Speaker 2: have been dealt with on Day Dot. 111 00:07:27,880 --> 00:07:32,200 Speaker 1: Coming up, how the coalition's lead attacker got drawn into 112 00:07:32,240 --> 00:07:47,960 Speaker 1: the drama. Bridget McKenzie is a very colorful figure in 113 00:07:48,000 --> 00:07:51,240 Speaker 1: the opposition. She's been from and center leading the attack 114 00:07:51,400 --> 00:07:55,080 Speaker 1: on Anthony Albanezi. Now, if he wants to clear his name, 115 00:07:55,160 --> 00:07:58,160 Speaker 1: if he thinks he's got nothing to hide, then get 116 00:07:58,200 --> 00:08:00,760 Speaker 1: out here and tell us the truth. Get it on 117 00:08:00,800 --> 00:08:04,080 Speaker 1: the record, refer yourself to the Knack. And now she's 118 00:08:04,080 --> 00:08:06,880 Speaker 1: had to admit that she herself is trying to find 119 00:08:06,880 --> 00:08:10,720 Speaker 1: out whether she has ever received upgrades that she's failed 120 00:08:10,720 --> 00:08:14,520 Speaker 1: to declare on the Register of members' interests. How did 121 00:08:14,560 --> 00:08:15,440 Speaker 1: that go so wrong? 122 00:08:16,000 --> 00:08:18,400 Speaker 2: Yeah, the PM needed to get his house in order 123 00:08:18,440 --> 00:08:21,200 Speaker 2: on Saturday. Bridget McKenzie needed to get her house in 124 00:08:21,280 --> 00:08:25,280 Speaker 2: order on Monday before she came out and demanded that 125 00:08:25,520 --> 00:08:28,560 Speaker 2: mister Albanezi release a full log of his flights. She 126 00:08:28,680 --> 00:08:31,320 Speaker 2: came out and said she had never asked or received 127 00:08:31,600 --> 00:08:34,960 Speaker 2: a flight upgrade, full stop, and within hours I believe 128 00:08:35,200 --> 00:08:38,200 Speaker 2: she had to correct the record because her register showed that, 129 00:08:38,240 --> 00:08:40,720 Speaker 2: in fact, she did receive an upgrade in twenty eighteen, 130 00:08:41,000 --> 00:08:44,360 Speaker 2: a couple of days later, and it's now turned out 131 00:08:44,720 --> 00:08:48,679 Speaker 2: she's facing questions as to whether she received more upgrades 132 00:08:48,960 --> 00:08:52,120 Speaker 2: and didn't disclose them properly, which can be sort of 133 00:08:52,120 --> 00:08:54,720 Speaker 2: in breach or in contempt of the Senate. Given that 134 00:08:54,760 --> 00:08:59,200 Speaker 2: Bridget McKenzie and Peter Dutton are leading the attack against 135 00:08:59,240 --> 00:09:03,280 Speaker 2: the Prime Minister, and given Bridget mackenzie has had to 136 00:09:03,320 --> 00:09:06,720 Speaker 2: resign as a minister in the past over the sports 137 00:09:06,720 --> 00:09:09,520 Speaker 2: forts saga, you would have thought she would have been 138 00:09:09,559 --> 00:09:14,360 Speaker 2: one hundred percent certain in her own affairs before coming 139 00:09:14,400 --> 00:09:15,840 Speaker 2: out in attack of the Prime Minister. 140 00:09:16,400 --> 00:09:20,600 Speaker 1: Does this whole story just speak to a culture that's 141 00:09:20,640 --> 00:09:25,520 Speaker 1: saturated in receiving upgrades and effectively gifts from airlines. 142 00:09:25,880 --> 00:09:28,800 Speaker 2: I think it does. We do have codes of conduct 143 00:09:29,000 --> 00:09:32,760 Speaker 2: for MPs, for ministers that are very clear about not 144 00:09:32,880 --> 00:09:36,360 Speaker 2: accepting gifts sort of personal gain that could be in 145 00:09:36,400 --> 00:09:40,640 Speaker 2: conflict with your work. But this is something that has 146 00:09:40,760 --> 00:09:45,360 Speaker 2: become so widespread, not just among politicians, also among the 147 00:09:45,360 --> 00:09:49,400 Speaker 2: people who work for them and other high ranking Australians. 148 00:09:49,720 --> 00:09:53,280 Speaker 2: But when you zoom out and look at it from 149 00:09:53,320 --> 00:09:56,920 Speaker 2: the eye of the punter, it doesn't quite feel right 150 00:09:57,040 --> 00:10:01,800 Speaker 2: or past the pub test, especially if you're soliciting something 151 00:10:02,160 --> 00:10:05,000 Speaker 2: which we know now the Prime Minister saying he personally 152 00:10:05,360 --> 00:10:05,640 Speaker 2: did not. 153 00:10:06,360 --> 00:10:08,920 Speaker 1: Okay and Rosie, what are the stakes here? Just finally, 154 00:10:09,280 --> 00:10:11,840 Speaker 1: if Anthony Alberonezi turns out to have made a mistake 155 00:10:11,920 --> 00:10:14,880 Speaker 1: and forgotten that in fact he or someone who works 156 00:10:14,880 --> 00:10:18,520 Speaker 1: for him did solicit an upgrade, or if Bridget mackenzie 157 00:10:18,600 --> 00:10:22,319 Speaker 1: discovers that yes, she also solicited upgrades and received them 158 00:10:22,320 --> 00:10:25,440 Speaker 1: and failed to disclose them, what happens to each of 159 00:10:25,480 --> 00:10:28,080 Speaker 1: those people was the most likely scenario. 160 00:10:28,240 --> 00:10:31,240 Speaker 2: I think this point. If it turns out that Bridget 161 00:10:31,280 --> 00:10:35,800 Speaker 2: McKenzie did receive upgrades, I don't think at this point 162 00:10:35,840 --> 00:10:38,600 Speaker 2: there's a suggestion she solicited them. That if she received 163 00:10:38,600 --> 00:10:41,120 Speaker 2: them and didn't disclose them, that does seem to be 164 00:10:41,120 --> 00:10:44,520 Speaker 2: a bad look. There are colleagues in our Canberra Bureau 165 00:10:44,520 --> 00:10:47,840 Speaker 2: who think she will have to go as Opposition Transport 166 00:10:47,880 --> 00:10:51,240 Speaker 2: spokeswoman if that turns out to be true. Peter Dutton 167 00:10:51,280 --> 00:10:54,600 Speaker 2: is standing by her at this stage that she hasn't 168 00:10:54,679 --> 00:10:57,200 Speaker 2: received her audit back yet, so let's wait and see. 169 00:10:57,200 --> 00:11:00,800 Speaker 2: But worst case scenario for Bridget Mackenzie she has to 170 00:11:00,800 --> 00:11:03,199 Speaker 2: step down from the front bench again Ivans and the 171 00:11:03,240 --> 00:11:07,960 Speaker 2: Albanezi turns out to have had his office solicit an upgrade. 172 00:11:08,280 --> 00:11:12,200 Speaker 2: He'll have to apologize for that, and he'll have to 173 00:11:12,559 --> 00:11:16,040 Speaker 2: answer endless questions from the Coalition as to whether that 174 00:11:16,240 --> 00:11:20,600 Speaker 2: raised a conflict. At this stage, though his cabinet standing 175 00:11:20,640 --> 00:11:25,000 Speaker 2: beside him, there's no leadership rumblings. So I think at 176 00:11:25,040 --> 00:11:28,200 Speaker 2: this point, worst case scenario for the Prime Minister is 177 00:11:28,520 --> 00:11:31,880 Speaker 2: lost weeks of parliament, lost, weeks of having any sort 178 00:11:31,880 --> 00:11:34,800 Speaker 2: of coherent message to the public in the lead up 179 00:11:34,840 --> 00:11:38,640 Speaker 2: to an election, but probably no scalp there. Bridget Mackenzie 180 00:11:38,640 --> 00:11:41,360 Speaker 2: would be the more likely scalp at this stage, pending 181 00:11:41,400 --> 00:11:42,480 Speaker 2: the outcome of her ordit. 182 00:11:46,040 --> 00:11:50,000 Speaker 1: Rosie Lewis is the Australian's political correspondent. If there are 183 00:11:50,040 --> 00:11:52,880 Speaker 1: any scalps. Our subscribers at The Australian will be the 184 00:11:52,920 --> 00:11:55,920 Speaker 1: first to know. Join us at the Australian dot com 185 00:11:55,960 --> 00:11:59,560 Speaker 1: dot au. A year's subscription is cheaper than a single 186 00:11:59,600 --> 00:12:02,800 Speaker 1: business class flight from Sydney to Melbourne, and we don't 187 00:12:02,840 --> 00:12:07,319 Speaker 1: have engineering issues, unexplained delays or warm chardonnay. Thanks for 188 00:12:07,400 --> 00:12:10,400 Speaker 1: joining us on the front. Our team is Kristin Amiot, 189 00:12:10,520 --> 00:12:14,240 Speaker 1: Jasper leik Lea Semaglu, Joshua Burton and Tiffany Demac.