Peter Dutton demands answers on Qatar Airways decision in wake of Albanese Qantas perks furore

The Coalition is calling for Anthony Albanese to declare whether he acted “on behalf of Qantas” during the Government’s decision last year to block Qatar Airways bid for more flights into Australia.

The Prime Minister’s integrity is under question and there is mounting pressure on him to answer questions about his relationship with former Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce after a new book made a series of allegations.

Joe Aston wrote that Mr Albanese had received 22 flight upgrades, including some while he was transport minister, and had allegedly directly contacted Mr Joyce for some of those.

Peter Dutton has called for Mr Albanese to refer himself to the national anti-corruption commission and suggested that, in exchange for the perks, Mr Albanese had acted in Qantas’ best interests when he blocked the Qatar Airways bid for more flights into Australia last year.

Government ministers - many of whom are silently frustrated at the distraction - have rallied to defend the PM.

Mr Albanese maintains he has acted appropriately and within the rules, but did not directly answer questions about the supposed requests.

Liberal senator Simon Birmingham said the one question Mr Albanese should answer today was “Did he, or his office ever engage with the Transport Minister or her office on the Qatar flights decision?”

“Did he, in fact, exercise his prime ministerial authority or his office do so on his behalf to interfere to protect Qantas and to ensure that Australian aviation customers were given less choice and greater costs?” he said.

“Because that’s what this all comes down to.”

Meanwhile, Liberal Senator Jane Hume said if the scandal involved any other minister, they would be “kicked out on their arse”.

She said Mr Albanese’s alleged behaviour involved “soliciting gifts”, and not receiving them, which amounted to a breach of the Ministerial Code of Conduct.

“He went out and sought an upgrade or whatever it might have been from Qantas while he was the responsible minister,” she said.

She told her panelmate, Housing Minister Clare O’Neil, that if she had engaged in such conduct the PM would have turfed her “within a moment to get rid of this distraction”.

Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth meanwhile said the Coalition was engaging in a “pile on on the Prime MInister and his family”.

“The opposition is making this completely political,” she told ABC Radio.

“The hypocrisy that Peter Dutton calls on the Prime Minister to answer questions but hasn’t explained his use of the Gina Rinehart private jet.

“So, quite frankly, I think there’s a lot of politics here and a lot of hypocrisy from the opposition. I mean, we have (opposition frontbencher) Paul Fletcher who’s declared 69 upgrades. So, I think what I’m pointing out here is the hypocrisy of the opposition playing politics with this.”

Health Minister Mark Butler said Mr Albanese had the cabinet’s “completely solid” support.

“He answered all of these questions forthrightly,” he said.

“He declared all of the upgrades that are subject of these stories in a timely fashion and consistent with the rules, and we’re focused on the job we have to support Australian households and business.”