Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was forced to defend his commitment to transparency this week, following reports he accepted dozens of free Qantas flight upgrades.
Albanese claims that all of his thefts were “reported in the appropriate manner.”
He has struggled to shake off criticism of his relationship with former Qantas CEO Alan Joyce, taking six days to fact-check and deny he was seeking improvements by calling him directly.
Redbridge director Kos Samaras told SBS News the polling group has already seen the effect of Albanian's flight benefits on the public's perception of the leader.
“Right now, millions of Australians are standing firm, expecting some liberal empathy from politicians in the midst of this affordability crisis,” he said. declared.
Samaras said that while Australians accept that politicians enjoy privileges that the public does not have, there is an “additional pain” during a cost of living crisis.
SBS looked at how benefits vary and how they impact public perception of our political leaders.
What advantages do politicians get?
It is not uncommon for politicians to receive benefits. Parliamentary directives require all elected officials to declare gifts worth more than $300, including family members.
An SBS News review of parliamentary filings since the 2013 election found the prime minister has accepted more tickets to concerts and sporting events than his last three predecessors combined.
Building on his appetite for music, Albanese has announced ten concerts since his election in 2022, including tickets for Taylor Swift, Elton John and the Foo Fighters.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has also had a busy social calendar, receiving 21 passes to sporting events ranging from Test cricket to various NRL matches over the same period.
In contrast, former Prime Minister Scott Morrison declared only six NRL matches, but many events were canceled during his tenure due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He kept the bald eagle cufflinks of 2019 US President Donald Trump.
His predecessor, Malcolm Turnbull, accepted six tickets for a theater production. He also paid $891 to keep a portable telescope and $596 for a glass bowl etched with an image of the White House taken by Trump.
While most prime ministers forgo gifts from world leaders, Turnbull notably kept many items such as a pearl necklace and earrings from Joko Widodo, a silk carpet from the Afghan president and even paid $1,798 for a kayak from Emmanuel Macron in France.
Tony Abbott's registry was much smaller, paying to keep items such as a road bike for a charity Pollie pedal ride and a surfboard during his time as prime minister.
It is obvious that some politicians are more judicious than others in their statements. Bill Shorten disclosed 99 hotel room upgrades as Opposition Leader between 2016 and 2019 alone.
While others, like Bridget Mackenzie, were forced to walk back their criticism this week and pledge to update their statements after realizing they were receiving flight upgrades that may not have been declared.
What about flight upgrades?
Much of this week's furor in Canberra has centered on the Prime Minister's improvements to Qantas flights during his time in the transport portfolio and as Opposition Leader.
Warren Truss is the only former transport minister, other than Albanese, to accept a flight upgrade while in the portfolio in the last decade, with five other MPs holding the role since 2013.
Albanese said at least 10 of the 22 reported thefts took place in 2013, during a leadership vote with Bill Shorten, and were paid for by the Australian Labor Party.
The Prime Minister has faced criticism that his close relationship with the airline's former CEO, Alan Joyce, could have influenced his decisions regarding the industry when he was transport minister.
He pointed out, however, that last year's call to block Qatar's requests to double its flights to Australia, favoring current suppliers like Qantas, was made by current Transport Minister Catherine King.
Deflecting criticism, the Prime Minister urged Dutton to explain three private flights sponsored by Gina Rinehart's Hancock Prospecting in 2022.
On Thursday, Dutton claimed he requested Rinehart's flights to attend a Bali bombing memorial service when he was unable to get commercial flights, saying he saved $40 $000 to taxpayers.
“The least expensive option for the taxpayer was for my office to talk to Ms. Rinehart's office to see if the plane might be available. It cost the taxpayer nothing,” he said.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has contacted mining magnate Gina Rhinehart over private flights in 2022.
Albanese said that unlike Dutton, all of his flights were commercial and that he “did not have to report flights on private jets owned by billionaires like Gina Rinehart because I was not involved in them.”
SBS News has requested comment from the Prime Minister's Office on a private helicopter ride to lunch in Portsea in January 2023, courtesy of billionaire Lindsay Fox.
The impact of gifts on public trust
Samaras believes Labor made a “big mistake” by pointing the finger at private theft by Liberals and other politicians, saying the public holds Albanians to different standards.
“The problem for Labor is that there is an expectation among the public, particularly among their base, that they behave differently because they don't come from the same social class,” he said. declared.
“He is judged at a much higher standard because he is a prime minister from a particular background,” referring to Albanese who grew up with a single mother in public housing.
Clancy Moore, chief executive of anti-corruption organization Transparency International Australia, said while disclosing the gifts was a positive step, “transparency is not enough”.
“The most important question is the role of the private sector and how close many big companies, like Qantas, are to our politicians,” he told SBS News.
“If this influences government decisions, that’s the bigger issue…is how these intertwined relationships…impact our federal policy.”
Moore maintains that building trust reduces perceptions of undue influence with our public servants, praising federal members like independent David Pocock for refusing lucrative perks like Qantas President's Lounge passes.
He said anyone in a ministerial role should avoid being “bullied” into a particular position by special interest groups.
“You should always think very carefully before accepting any gift, any form of hospitality from any lobby group or vested interest,” he said.
“Because there is a perception that it could influence your decision against the benefit of the public and in favor of those interests.”
