Mr. Dutton expressed uncertainty about whether the prime minister misled the Parliament, emphasizing that it was important to address a meeting between the prime minister and ex-Qantas boss Alan Joyce. The meeting was made public knowledge after a lengthy freedom of information campaign. The diary information obtained regarding the meeting was redacted and did not contain specific details about the meeting itself.
Despite the opposition leader’s insistence, it was revealed that the meeting between Anthony Albanese and Alan Joyce had already taken place. The meeting had occurred at Parliament House on Nov. 23, 2022, and had been known for several months. The opposition leader, Mr. Dutton, commented on the meeting, stating that it raised “interesting” questions but expressing some uncertainty about whether the prime minister misled Parliament.
In September, a document tabled for a parliamentary inquiry revealed that Mr. Joyce had met with the prime minister four times since October 2022 and had also met with Transport Minister Catherine King on four occasions. Around the time of these meetings, discussions were taking place between the government and industry players regarding proposed workplace reforms.
In July 2023, it was reported that Ms. King had blocked a bid by Qantas competitor Qatar Airways to increase its weekly flights into Australia, prompting criticism from the opposition. The minister cited various factors for her decision, leading to mounting pressure.
Mr. Albanese stated in September that he received no lobbying from Qantas and did not speak to the former Qantas CEO before a decision was made, a statement that was reiterated by a government spokesperson. The Qatar Airways debacle, along with other PR issues at Qantas, led Mr. Joyce to expedite his retirement by two months and prompted an inquiry into air service agreements. In December, the government updated its agreement to allow Turkish Airways to increase their flights by 2025.