Greens leader Adam Bandts extraordinary response after Qantas perks come to light during tense exchange with ABC journalist
Adam Bandt said people can make their own judgment about him enjoying an exclusive and discretionary perk from Qantas in a tense exchange with a journalist.
Adam Bandt said people can make their own judgment about him enjoying an exclusive and discretionary perk from Qantas in a tense exchange with a journalist.
The Greens leader has been outed as a member of the Qantas Chairmans Lounge, an invitation-only set of catered waiting areas and services handed out by the airline in what has been called Australias most exclusive club.
Mr Bandt was challenged on Monday by ABC Radio National stand-in host Steve Cannane that he was enjoying free hospitality from a company that has illegally sacked hundreds of workers.
Mr Bandt replied: And I’ll declare that and people can make their own judgement about what they think about that.
Cannane was referring to the Federal Courts ruling that Qantas illegally sacked 1,700 workers at the start of the Covid pandemic in a case brought by Transport Workers Union.
Commenting on the sacking in June of 2020, Mr Bandt called it a devastating day for thousands of Qantas workers & their families in a Facebook post. We’re thinking of you, he wrote.
Cannane challenged Mr Bandt further saying: You dont think you should be a little purer on this and just not take their (Qantass) hospitality?
Mr Bandt said he always made declarations about matters such as this and argued that the partys policies to tax big corporations heavily show the perks were not impacting the Greens.
Greens leader Adam Bandt said people can make their own judgment about him enjoying an exclusive and discretionary perk from Qantas
Mr Bandt has been outed as a member of the Qantas Chairmans Lounge, an invitation only set of catered waiting areas and services handed out by the airline that has been called Australias most exclusive club
Mr Bandt was spotted in September flying business class from Melbourne to Canberra seated next to Senator Jacqui Lambie.
Albanese government ministers Tim Watts and Catherine King were on the same flight but were with the masses in economy class.
It has been previously reported that Mr Bandt opts to frequently fly business despite his partys core policy of cutting C02 emissions.
Flying business class emits about three times as much carbon as economy class because the seats take up more room and more of them are empty, according to a World Bank study.
Fellow Greens MP Max Chandler-Mather last year said he had shunned a Chairman’s Lounge membership and refuses to travel business class.
Earlier this year Mr Bandts flying habits led to controversy.
Mr Bandts flying habits have been a previous source of controversy after it was revealed he frequently opts for business class and has even taken private jets to election events
Mr Bandt used two private jets during the 2022 federal election campaign, landing tax payers with the $23,000 bill.
One flight was between Queensland regional centres Townsville and Rockhampton on March 7 but he also boarded a $15,000 private plane along the well-travelled Brisbane to Canberra route to attend his partys election campaign launch.
Mr Bandt isnt the only politician in the hot seat with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese being asked if he has included both his son and partner as plus one Chairmans Club members.
He is also being asked about free flight upgrades including an international one he is alleged to have received from Qantas in new book The Chairmans Lounge authored by former Australian Financial Review columnist Joe Aston.
The Greens are licking their electoral wounds after the Queensland state poll, where they are battling to hold onto their two seats after stating they aimed to triple their representation in parliament.
With 72 per cent of the vote counted they appear to have retained the Brisbane seat of Maiwar but suffered a 4.6 per cent swing to the ALP.
However, they remain behind South Brisbane, which has seen a massive 12.4 per cent swing to Labor with 64 per cent of votes counted.
