The senator who launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for accepting free Qantas benefits and failing to declare her own free upgrades has come under fire amid an ongoing backlash.
While no minister or MP directly criticized Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie on Wednesday, a government spokeswoman highlighted the politician’s hypocrisy.
‘Most MPs have received updates from time to time. When that happens, members of parliament are expected to declare those improvements in accordance with the rules,” he said in a statement to the Australian Financial Review.
“Senator McKenzie should explain why she doesn’t live up to the standards she sets for others.”
Despite the irregularities, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton and Nationals leader David Littleproud are unlikely to sack Senator McKenzie over the scandal, amid fears it could spark leadership tensions.
An anonymous MP told the publication that Littleproud needed Senator McKenzie’s support to maintain his leadership.
“That’s what it’s about,” they said.
Senator McKenzie on Wednesday tabled an update to her parliamentary register of interests to include multiple free upgrades from Qantas, Virgin and Rex.
Nationals Senator Bridget McKenzie (pictured) was called to “explain” the multiple free upgrades she received from Qantas, but did not reveal them.
Senator McKenzie attacked Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (pictured center with partner Jodie Haydon and former Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce) for receiving multiple free benefits.
Labor previously asked Senator McKenzie to explain her numerous breaches of parliamentary rules following an AFR report that she had failed to disclose more than a dozen improvements.
Its updated record showed five business class upgrades on Qantas international flights to and from New Zealand between 2015 and 2018, four on Qantas domestic flights between 2015 and 2024, and seven on Virgin Australia flights between 2015 and 2019.
The updated registry also included a bottle of rum from Earp Distillery and a sleeveless jacket, shortbread and hand cream from Ports Australia.
The Coalition’s leading senator wrote to the three airlines last week to check if she had any unclaimed upgrades.
Senator McKenzie has since admitted that her failure to disclose the flights fell short of public and parliamentary expectations.
“And for this, I apologize,” he said.
Tension between political parties over undisclosed airline profits was sparked by claims by Prime Minister Albanese that he had “reached out” to former Qantas boss Alan Joyce about “guaranteed” improvements shared in the former Qantas columnist’s book. AFR Joe Aston, The Chairman’s Lounge.
Despite the irregularities, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton and Nationals leader David Littleproud (pictured) are unlikely to sack Senator McKenzie.
The book alleges that Albanese accepted and revealed 22 free updates since 2007.
These include several trips he took while he was Minister and Shadow Minister for Transport.
Albanese has denied that he or his office requested the improvements.
Although the Prime Minister declared that all benefits are free, the situation has raised questions about the ethics of regulated industries working to curry favor with ministers.
Independent Senator David Pocock criticized Senator McKenzie’s undisclosed improvements as a serious disregard for parliamentary rules, but admitted that “neither major nor minor party comes to this with clean hands”.
“But we lack adequate accountability mechanisms to address such breaches of integrity,” he said.
Greens transport spokesperson Elizabeth Watson-Brown recommended that MPs be banned from accepting free upgrades on all personal and work trips.
Center for Public Integrity Director Geoffrey Watson, South Carolina, also condemned Senator McKenzie’s actions as “shameful and inexcusable.”
‘Mr Dutton appears to take a hard line on these issues. “Obviously, it’s not that difficult when you try to apply it to her, or apply it to your own side,” he said.
“So there’s a lot of hypocrisy here.”
