Murray Olds: Australian correspondent on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese denying Qantas flight upgrade accusations

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has continued to deny he called former head Alan Joyce up to seek free flight upgrades.

Albanese has been engaging in a days-long back-and-fourth denial after allegations surfaced in a new book - and the opposition has been running with this ahead of the election.

Australian correspondent Murray Olds says this is still a bad look for the Prime Minister.

LISTEN ABOVE

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
International correspondence with ins and Eye Insurance Peace of Mind
for New Zealand Business.

Speaker 2 (00:06):
Marie old Ozzie corresponds with us now Mas, good afternoon, Heather, Okay,
has Alba made the situation better or worse? What do
you reckon?

Speaker 1 (00:14):
Well? He his office says he's never sought upgrades with
personal phone calls to the QUADUS boss of the day,
Allan Joyce, nor with anyone else in the company, and
the Office of Albanzi hopes that's where it's going to land.
Peter Dutton grandstanding his way, he get across the national
newspapers and television, urging Albanizi to refer himself to the

(00:37):
National Anti Corruption Watch on for goodness say the National
Anti Corruption Commission over his relationship with Alan Joyce and
also the decision last year Heather to block Katar Airways
from making many more flights to and from Australia. The
opposition is trying to say the cozy relationship that Albanezi
enjoyed with Allan Joyce and Quadas in terms of getting upgrades,

(01:02):
that was repaid by blocking a rival carrier from coming in.
I mean any criminal conduct, no, any breach. Ad Ministerial guidelines. Well,
not that I can see. But is it a good look?
Of course it's not. And does it pass the pub test?
We said the other day though it doesn't. But all
of a sudden, you've got people on the opposition over here.
Bridget mackenzie is one of the Nationals heavyweights. She's having

(01:24):
to go back. Shit. No, I've never had an upgrade
all of a sudden, yesterday she has. Yes, in fact,
I've had many upgrades of her. But I'm going to
order my flight details. We'll good on you, mate. They
all do it. Albert easy Steadfast saying I did nothing wrong. No, no, no, no, no,
but made. I don't know where the MP's going to
flop on this. It's just a bad bad lookers, now

(01:45):
answer something for him.

Speaker 2 (01:46):
Does did Elbow get upgrades?

Speaker 1 (01:49):
Apparently yes?

Speaker 2 (01:50):
Okay, So how did he get upgrades if he didn't
ask anyone in quantus for upgrades? How did that happen?

Speaker 1 (01:56):
Well, you know, he was the shadow Transport minister, then
he was the Transport Minister, than he wasn't he was
back shadow again after the government lost.

Speaker 2 (02:03):
This is bs This is BS muss because on his
kind of dime, he would absolutely be buying himself a
nice little ticket.

Speaker 1 (02:11):
Right.

Speaker 2 (02:11):
The only reason you buy yourself an economy ticket, if
you were hammer is because you know you're going to
get an upgrade.

Speaker 1 (02:17):
Yeah, but we're talking here about you know, not personal flights,
about business, about you know, MP flights.

Speaker 2 (02:24):
Oh right, are they always economy? Are they?

Speaker 1 (02:27):
Well? Allegedly, but look it's it's absolutely opaque. They don't
want the PLBs like me to look aside and see
the perks they're on. They never touched it, They never
touched their wallets for anything.

Speaker 2 (02:40):
The whole thing does. It's weird, isn't it weird that
he took so long though to deny that he asked
for any upgrades?

Speaker 1 (02:45):
Like why did he do that? I mean, it's look,
he is just honestly he's been. He's like he's being
diminished every day that he puts his melon up with
another high vers vest on making yet more excuses. It
just looks.

Speaker 2 (03:00):
It looks terrible, it really does. Motz thanks mate, well,
have to leave it there, appreciate it. Murray Olds Australia
correspondent Barry Sopers with us Nick. For more from Hither
Duplessy Allen Drive, listen live to News Talks.

Speaker 1 (03:13):
It'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio