In New Scandal Albanese Took Pen He Didn’t Own!
It’s interesting what constitutes a scandal these days compared with just a few years ago.
For example, sending people debt notices illegally for money they didn’t owe only got a passing mention. Paying ten times the price that land was valued at was ok. Giving millions to a firm whose office was a shack in Kangaroo Island received a raised eyebrow, but let’s congratulate them on not wasting money on plush offices.
Now… perhaps it’s because of the anti-corruption commission which is allegedly looking into things and deciding that most of them may not be worth investigating… but now, we have all sorts of scandals involving the PM.
For example, he bought a house and paid a lot more than the vast majority of Australians can afford. Admittedly, there’s no suggestion that he did anything corrupt, but it was what’s called “poor optics” and that’s far worse than simple corruption.
And just recently it’s emerged that Anthony Albanese received upgrades for flights from Qantas. We know this because he declared them in his register of interests. They are different from the upgrades that Peter Dutton received because, according to reports, the PM asked for them, whereas Dutton was upgraded due to concern for the poor people in economy seats who’d be forced to spend the flight near him.
This is much, much worse than when a certain Liberal minister forgot to pay for a family holiday from “Hello World” and they forgot to charge him. I guess that is what happens when you ask the head of the company for help with your booking. They’re not used to day-to-day things like charging for airfares.
There is a further allegation that Albo didn’t declare the upgrade for his ex-wife but because she was also a politician some have suggested that she would have/should have declared them on her own register of interests. This overlooks the fact that a man is responsible for all matters of business and a woman couldn’t possibly be considered an independent entity responsible for her own…
Ok, ok, there are obvious problems with our politicians receiving anything for free from any business because of the potential conflict of interest. Certainly, there’s a case that if Albanese was soliciting free upgrades in return for certain decisions he should be referred to the NACC and the whole thing looked at.
HOWEVER, we are talking about his time as Transport Minister so it was it a long time ago and – I suspect – that the Senate won’t want to examine it by questioning Alan Joyce because some bright spark might ask if any other Minister ever personally asked for an upgrade.
Whatever it does seem like there’s a definite campaign against Albanese and that it’s not just coming from the Labor side of politics.
If that sounds like I’m a rusted-on Labor supporter, that’s just not true. There’s a quote about how if you’re not a socialist at twenty there’s something wrong with your heart, but if you’re still a socialist at forty there’s something wrong with your head. While it’s true that many people become more conservative as they age, I am starting to think that it’s the Australian political scene that’s changed. When people call the Albanese government “socialist”, I am confused as to what they think socialism is.
As I see the parties these days when compared to the 1960s:
- The Labor Party is closer to what would have been a moderate Liberal government.
- The Greens are closer to what Labor once was. A lot of idealistic policies but they don’t think they’ll win government any time soon so they don’t have to worry about the practicalities.
- The current Liberal Party is now the DLP who were basically a combination of religious fundamentalists and people worried about China and communism.
- One Nation is closer to your average 60’s country football club committee without the committee’s ability to organise the weekly raffle for the meat tray.
The recent Queensland state election is going to cause a lot of frothing at the mouth from political commentators and we’re probably only a few days away from leadership speculation and a headline “HOW CAN ALBO HANG ON?” This will be followed by amazement that he’s still there when it’s been discovered that he has a habit of taking pens from the office and using them as though they’re his own and not the taxpayers’.
Of course, Peter Dutton will complain that – if only Labor weren’t so insistent that they had a right to make decisions because they’re the government – we could have a bipartisan policy on things like nuclear energy, harsher sentences for protesters, and war with China. This will be backed by an opinion poll indicating that Dutton is more popular than he was at some point when he wasn’t, and there’ll be another round of articles about Labor changing leaders.
The Greens will consistently repeat their line from the Queensland election which I found confusing in the extreme. According to Max Chandler-Mather, Labor lost because they keep “fighting with the Greens” while simultaneously the Miles government adopted a lot of Greens policies which is why they did so well, even though they lost. I have a lot of trouble with the concept that you are “fighting” someone while you are doing what they think is good policy.
Ah well, at least the election won’t cause the same sort of civil war likely to break out in the US after the elections next week… at least, I presume it won’t!
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14 comments
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paul walter
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Michael Taylor
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paul walter
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uncletimrob
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Cool Pete
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keitha granville
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Pete
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Terence Mills
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GL
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Terence Mills
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uncletimrob
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GL
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Bert
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Terence Mills
Return to home pageIt’s a good piece. The observations about political groupings now, compared to earlier times, I thought were quite shrewd.
I don’t- absolutely- agree with the stuff about the Greens and Labor, but the points are well put, and I think there is much more corporate, media and foreign interference for governments to have to deal with this term, and also see much baggage, including odd social and economic stuff from a long time in the wilderness, treaty obligations that hamper our sovereignty. Perhaps I am getting older, too. Birthday today.
Happy birthday, Paul. Party hard.
Michael and Carol.
Thanks, kind friends.
In a funny sort of way, this- thinking and writing- is good partying. I am with the people I’d rather be with.
Albo steals a pen ???
I knew the evil so-and-so was up to no good, from the moment he stepped into The House of Reps in 1996.
Great article by the way!
Yes, the Liberal Party is like the DLP, but more of an influence from the religious right. Potty Boy Dutton doesn’t proclaim religion, but he is a fascist.
There were several factors at play in Queensland, and the LNP hasn’t had long in government. Can Albo hang on? He can, but he needs to develop more of a ticker.
You’d think they had no pressing legislation to be getting on with. When are we going to see some actual debate about actual policies that matter to the electorate instead of “he did this” and “she did that” sort of tattletaling that we try to teach our children not to do. I think parliament should be treated like a kindergarten – put your hands on your head when we’re being quiet, put your hand up to ask a question, “no Peter that’s not a question, don’t be a tattletale”. How about everyone declares where they fly every time and where they sit.
New rules – all MPs fly economy at all times on standard flights (no airforce specials) unless they PAY for better seats themselves, no MPs receive ANY gifts EVER from anyone, no MPs can own more than one house, MPs all get paid a salary from which they pay for EVERYTHING – no free stuff ie no accomodation payments, no cars, no NOTHING, no free travel after leaving office, no free stuff at all for partners/spouses. Have I forgotten something ?
When are the adults back in charge? When is the Labor party actually going to DO something worthwhile this term ? Where is the Labor party – they seem to have got lost. Bring back Bob, or Paul, or Gough. Imagine what they’d be saying.
keitha, exactly. What is the real reason for the media running this particular inquisition against Albo? Of all the issues he could be questioned about they chose his flight habits as a matter of national importance. Then I noticed last night that the govt released findings from the COVID-19 Response Inquiry which includes a recommendation for setting up an Aust CDC.
If the public gets too antsy about how both the LNP & Labor overstepped the mark in their responses, the control aparatus has another fall-back option for distracting the public with Upgrade-gate. So many distractions, so little time.
At one period of my pre-retirement working life I was a ‘frequent flyer’ mainly domestic but also international, always flying economy, either Qantas or Virgin.
Over the years on only one occasion was I offered an upgrade from economy to Business, on a Brisbane/Cairns flight.
The criteria for offering that upgrade was that there was a Business Class seat available and I was a frequent flyer – clearly if there hadn’t been a vacant business Class seat I wouldn’t have got an upgrade. Thus, I can’t imagine Albo petitioning for upgrades which are only available if there are no paying passengers.
Over the years, on one occasion, I was travelling with a client who was a member of the Qantas Chairman’s Lounge and he invited me in as a guest – the lounge was chock-a-block with federal politicians, it must have been a Thursday early knock-off. Evidently all (federal) pollies get a complimentary membership to the Chairman’s Lounge which includes a spouse or other family member as a guest (hence Albanese’s son after his dad’s divorce).
The coalition should be wary of attacking Albanese, particularly those who have accepted largesse from the likes of Gina Rinehart – thinking of free flights to India for a wedding, Barney !
If Albanese has to refer himself, then P. Duddy must refer himself to Paleolithic archaeologists to see if he’s part of the human race.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/oct/29/anthony-albanese-refuses-to-answer-questions-on-qantas-flight-upgrade-phone-calls-to-alan-joyce-ntwnfb
The coalition have opened up a real can of worms as MP’s now start updating their previously undisclosed upgrades.
One that really stands out is Liberal Jenny Ware, who was elected to the seat of Hughes at the last election, who made several alterations today (Thursday), adding business class upgrades she received on domestic and international flights to and from Sydney.
Ms Ware declared two upgrades from Canberra and Brisbane, in December 2022 and March this year, and an upgrade from economy to business class on a flight from Denpasar, Bali to Sydney in January of last year.
Bali to Sydney has to take the cake – it’s a six hour flight and the difference between Economy and Business is minimum $1000 – that’s like winning the Lotto !
The question is, was there a spare seat in business class that Ms Ware was gifted or did somebody who was prepared to pay business class have to go economy to allow a politician to get a freebie ?
Airline shareholders might start raising an eyebrow at the lost revenue…………!
After initially denying it, the Dudd has admitted that he requested Gina Rinehart’s company for a flight to Bali on her private jet to commemorate the Bali bombings.
It seems that what’s good for one – the Dudd – is not good for another – Albo – even though there is no evidence that he personally asked Joyce for an upgrade. Hypocritical much?
It’s always pleasant when P Duddy and the LNP’s bullshit blows up in their faces.
https://www.news.com.au/national/politics/blown-up-in-their-face-liberal-party-forced-to-backtrack-in-qantas-upgrade-saga/news-story/792d8081a974d540d4adda9c75af4f7f
And just to end the week on a great note.
https://www.news.com.au/technology/online/social/pauline-hanson-racially-vilified-mehreen-faruqi-in-tweet-after-queens-death-court-finds/news-story/f20987b63273242fe91ce465284ba850
Is the RBA a branch of the Liberal Party?
The Banks benefitted from thirteen increases in RBA interest rates, all of which they quickly passed on to existing and new borrowers and all of which went straight to their bottom lines.
In the past it has been quite normal for one or more of the banks not to pass on RBA increases but with the prevailing cartel mentality it seems that they will not give borrowers, particularly on existing mortgages, a break.
The fact that not one of the banks is prepared to break with their mates demonstrates to me that there is a lack of competition in our banking system.
If one of the major banks were to grant a .25% reduction to all existing and new loans, two things could happen : firstly the bank in question would attract more new loan business and secondly their competitors would be forced to look into their own lending practices.
What am I missing ?