A recent analysis of the parliament’s register of pecuniary interests reveals that nearly 90 per cent of Australian federal politicians have taken up membership in the exclusive Qantas Chairman’s Lounge.
Dozens of politicians also received flight upgrades and gifts from the airline.
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The lounge, described by former Qantas CEO Alan Joyce as “the most exclusive club in the country,” offers private airport facilities, fine dining, and comfort amenities to members.
Out of 227 politicians in the 47th parliament, at least 209 have declared access to the Qantas lounge.
Key figures like Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, opposition leader Peter Dutton, and Greens leader Adam Bandt, are also included in the list.
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Several politicians have also disclosed receiving Qantas flight upgrades since May 2022.
Membership is generally offered to all federal members and senators, alongside access to Virgin Australia’s elite Beyond Lounge.
In an interview with Sunrise, Barnaby Joyce said: “A lot of politicians get upgrades, me included. It’s whether you solicit it… especially if you call Alan Joyce. That’s the issue.”
While most politicians have accepted, a small number have declined or cancelled their membership.
High-profile members who opted out include Labor’s Tony Sheldon and Liberal Melissa McIntosh.
While others like Greens senator Stephen Bates and independent David Pocock initially accepted but later cancelled their memberships.
The analysis also revealed that numerous politicians have also declared their spouse as having received Chairman’s Lounge membership, including Bandt, Marles, Chalmers, Littleproud, Anne Aly, Bridget Archer, Tony Burke, Jason Wood, Karen Andrews, Andrew Hastie and Michael Sukkar.
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