Anthony Albanese potentially breached the ministerial code of conduct after he allegedly asked Alan Joyce for upgrades

Anthony Albanese may have breached the ministerial code of conduct by allegedly asking former Qantas CEO Alan Joyce for upgrades during his time as a minister.

A new book by former Australian Financial Review columnist Joe Aston reveals Mr Albanese accepted free flight upgrades worth tens of thousands of dollars while he was either transport minister or shadow transport minister.

According to unnamed Qantas ‘insiders’ 11 of the 22 flights Mr Albanese received upgrades for were ‘privately funded’ and included overseas trips to Rome, London, Los Angeles and Honolulu, with some being for holidays.

The book also alleges Mr Albanese directly contacted Mr Joyce while in his various parliamentary jobs to ask for special upgrades for himself or his family.

Mr Albanese served as Transport Minister from December 2007 to September 2013 under prime ministers Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard.

The standards of ministerial ethics, which forbids ministers from looking for or encouraging gifts of any kind for their personal benefit, was released by Mr Rudd in December 2007.

Ms Gillard later adopted the code in September 2010, meaning Mr Albanese was subject to its rules as Transport Minister.

‘Ministers, in their official capacity, may therefore accept customary official gifts, hospitality, tokens of appreciation, and similar formal gestures in accordance with the relevant guidelines,’ the code instructs.

The standards of ministerial ethics dictate a minister cannot ‘seek or encourage any form of gift in their personal capacity’ (pictured Anthony Albanese, right, Alan Joyce centre, with the PM’s fiancé Jodie Haydon)

‘But must not seek or encourage any form of gift in their personal capacity.

‘Ministers must also comply with the requirements of the parliament and the prime minister relating to the declaration of gifts.’

At a media conference in Newcastle on Tuesday, Mr Albanese claimed Mr Aston was using the accusations to sell books and accused him of hiding his connection to the Liberal party. 

‘I just make the point that the person who is trying to sell a book, and fair enough…,’ Mr Albanese said.

‘I don’t see declarations that he’s a former Liberal Party staffer for a number of senior members of the Liberal party, including Joe Hockey and Bruce Baird.

‘I don’t see declarations in June, just a few months ago, he was a guest – him and John Howard – at a Liberal Party fundraiser in the electorate of Wentworth.’

Aston responded on social media, pointing out that he wrote about his job with Mr Baird in the opening chapter of The Chairman’s Lounge.

‘It is disclosed on the first line of the first page of the book, and has never been a secret,’ Mr Aston wrote.

‘This is beyond desperate from the PM.’

Mr Albanese also also took aim at Opposition Leader Peter Dutton. 

‘My flights were commercial with Qantas or Virgin or Emirates,’ Mr Albanese said.

‘They were all declared in the appropriate way. I didn’t have to declare any flights on private jets owned by billionaires like Gina Rinehart because I haven’t engaged in it, as simple as that.

‘It’s up to Mr Dutton to explain how those flights were organised to private parties.’

In June, Mr Dutton was flown on Mrs Rinehart’s private jet to an event in the NSW town of Tamworth.

However, Mr Albanese seems to have forgotten a 2023 private helicopter trip he took with Victorian Premier Dan Andrews.

Last January, Mr Albanese was flown in Lindsay Fox’s private helicopter to a five-hour barbecue with the trucking magnate and Mr Andrews at the billionaire’s seaside mansion in Victoria.

Mr Dutton was ‘obsessed’ with attacking him personally, Mr Albanese claimed.

‘Peter Dutton seems to be obsessed with making attacks on myself and my family,’ Mr Albanese said.

‘My obsession is with helping Australians every day.’

Mr Albanese also suggested some MPs were hiding what they own in trusts.

‘I don’t have a trust, I’ve never had any shares in any company,’ he said.

‘It’s up to others to say why they have trusts, why it is we don’t know what they own, what they invest in. I have not done that, I have acted with integrity.’

The Prime Minister also denied frequently asking Mr Joyce for upgrades.

‘The only discussions that I can recall with Alan Joyce certainly were not discussed through calls – we discussed the first flight from Australia to Dubai on the A380,’ he said. 

Opposition transport spokeswoman Bridget McKenzie believes Mr Albanese needs to tell the Australian public if it is true or not (pictured the book that makes the claims)

‘I’ve declared everything in accordance with all of the rules and I note that there are others who I’m aware of have not necessarily declared all of the flights that they’ve taken.’

Mr Albanese said the accusations lacked specific details.

‘If there is a suggestion to be made let it be made specifically and I’ll answer it,’ he said.

Opposition transport spokeswoman Bridget McKenzie said Mr Albanese needed to let Australians know if he tried to get upgrades for himself and his family while he was the transport minister.  

‘This is up to the Prime Minister to assure the Australian public. This is a matter of trust. It’s also a matter of ministerial integrity,’ she said.

‘The allegations in Joe Aston’s book are that he actively solicited upgrades for himself and family members. 

‘Is it true, or isn’t it? So far despite two press conferences we don’t have an answer to that question.’