Qantas’ decision that could ruin Anthony Albanese’s chances at the next election
More than half of Australian voters believe Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his government gave Qantas preferential treatment over Qatar Airways.
A new RedBridge poll shows Albanese’s acceptance of 22 flight upgrades from Qantas since 2009 has cost him the support of many Labor voters.
The data showed that there was a 50/50 split between two parties’ preferred terms in the next federal election, likely to take place in May 2025.
With inflation and the rising cost of living set to be a major part of the election, voters were disappointed to see Qatar Airways unable to expand into the Australian market – a move that could have lowered airfares.
In July 2023, Transport Minister Catherine King banned Qatar from operating more services to and from Australia.
She argued that the expansion was “not in the national interest”, despite research showing that more competition would make flying cheaper.
Former head of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission Allan Fels slammed the move, saying: “There is no secret reason for it. It just takes care of Qantas.”
RedBridge chief executive Kos Samaras said negative feelings have worsened following news of the freebies Albanese received from Qantas, with critics concerned about a personal conflict of interest.
More than half of Australian voters believe Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his government gave Qantas preferential treatment over Qatar Airways (photo, Jodie Haydon, Alan Joyce and Anthony Albanese)
Claims that Mr Albanese personally requested the flight upgrades from former Qantas CEO Alan Joyce were aired in Joe Aston’s book The Chairman’s Lounge.
It was also revealed that Mr Albanese’s son, Nathan, and his fiancée, Jodie Haydon, are both ‘plus one’ members of the airline’s exclusive Chairman’s Lounge.
Politicians from all sides regularly receive free perks from Qantasbut opposition leader Peter Duton claimed the difference is Mr. Albanese. He has personally contacted Mr Joyce for upgrades, which the Prime Minister denies.
The poll found that 61 percent of voters believed Prime Minister Anthony Albanese gave Qantas preferential treatment over Qatar Airways.
This included 46 percent who planned to vote Labor and 76 percent who supported the Coalition.
Only 11 percent of voters believed that the Albanian government did not demonstrate preferential treatment of Qanta by allowing it to maintain its dominant market position.
The remaining 28 percent said they were not sure.
“That’s fundamentally the problem, the perception that the reason Qatar Airlines was rejected was because Qantas is giving out all these freebies to politicians,” Mr Samaras told the newspaper. Courier mail.
Voters were disappointed to see Qatar Airways fail to expand and threaten Qantas’ dominance of the Australian market – a move that could have lowered airfares
The poll found that 61 percent of voters believed Prime Minister Anthony Albanese gave Qantas preferential treatment over Qatar Airways (pictured, Mr Albanese and Mr Joyce)
“So her [government] don’t actually introduce competition, which then harms consumers.
“That positions politicians as a group of individuals, divorced from the lived experience of Australians.”
RedBridge found that 56 percent of Labor primary voters were weak on their position, compared to 31 percent for the Coalition and 52 percent for the Greens.
An incredible 51 percent of voters believed their living standards would decline over the next five years compared to 2020.
Coalition supporters had worse prospects than Labor voters, with 54 percent expecting a decline in living standards, compared to 40 percent of Labor voters.
Greens voters hovered between the two, with 48 percent preparing for a decline in their quality of life.
