Anthony Albanese has come out swinging at the author of a book that claims the Prime Minister used a personal connection with former Qantas boss Alan Joyce to get lucrative upgrades for himself and family members.
Mr Albanese also targeted opposition critics, accusing them of not fully disclosing how they enjoyed private jet travel funded by billionaires, while stating that unlike unnamed other MPs, he had done nothing wrong.
The claim Mr Albanese contacted Mr Joyce to receive special upgrades only the CEO could dole out is contained in the new book The Chairman’s Lounge by former Australian Financial Review columnist Joe Aston.
At a media conference in the NSW city of Newcastle on Tuesday, Mr Albanese claimed Mr Aston was using the accusations to sell books and 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 he wrote about his job with Mr Baird in 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 posted wrote.
‘This is beyond desperate from the PM.’
Mr Albanese also took aim at Opposition Leader Peter Dutton.
Anthony Albanese (pictured left) has been forced to deny he personally rang former Qantas CEO Alan Joyce (pictured right) for upgrades
‘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 by 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 trucking magnate Lindsay Fox’s private helicopter to a five-hour barbecue with the business magnate and Premier 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.
Mr Albanese has accused former Australian Financial Review columnist Joe Aston (pictured) of hiding his Liberal party associations
‘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.
The Australian Financial Review reported on Tuesday morning that Mr Albanese did not declare thousands of dollars worth of business class flight upgrades gifted to his ex-wife for their personal travels.
Mr Albanese and his former wife, NSW politician Carmel Tebbutt, travelled to Los Angeles, Honolulu and Europe between 2009 and 2013, while he was the transport minister, opposition transport spokesman and opposition leader.
The pair received upgrades from economy to business class, which Mr Albanese declared on his official register of interests, from Qantas and its partner airline Emirates.
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