Albanese slams Coalition ‘conspiracies’ on Alan Joyce meeting as absurd

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has blasted as an absurd conspiracy the notion that he and then Qantas boss Alan Joyce discussed a bid by Qatar Airways to gain a greater share of the Australian market.

Transport Minister Catherine King has said she decided toreject Qatar’s application on July 10,2023 – a decision the Coalition labelled a “sweetheart deal” protecting Qantas at the expense of consumers.

Release ofAlbanese’s diaries this week confirmed he met with Joyce in November,2022. Joyce also met with King on May 10,2023,and with both Albanese and King on August 9,2023.

Addressing the suggestion Joyce lobbied Albanese on the Qatar bid,Albanese responded indignantly.

“This is just an absurdity,” he said at a press conference at the Sydney test match between Australia and Pakistan on Friday.

“The meeting with Alan Joyce has been known about since last September. I’ve answered questions in parliament where I say that,and I repeat again now,Qatar was not raised. Nor were what would be at any time probably 10 to 15 different air services agreements and applications from different airlines.”

“What Alan Joyce came to see me about,just like the heads of BHP,the head of the Business Council of Australia and a range of others,was industrial relations legislation that was being discussed at that time.”

“The Coalition need to stop their nonsense of conspiracy theories”.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton told radio station 2GB on Thursday that the November meeting raised questions about the relationship between the prime minister and Joyce.

“They were best of friends and the prime minister was happy to tout that right up until Alan Joyce became unpopular,and it was also off the back of a decision the government made to stop Qatar getting extra access which would have driven down the price of international airfares,” he said.

Albanese attacked the Coalition for backing Qantas and other big businesses in the corporate sector’s mission to toppleLabor’s workplace laws,which Albanese says were the subject of his meeting with Joyce.

“The Coalition sided with Alan Joyce and with Qantas in defending unfair labour practices,that two people doing the same job with the same experience could be paid differently to undermine enterprise bargaining and undermine union-based agreements,” Albanese said on Friday.

Thelaws passed during the last parliamentary sitting of 2023 despite business groups representing companies including BHP and Qantas,which both use labour hire,spending millions campaigning against the changes.

At the same press conference on Friday,Albanese backed cricketer Usman Khawaja in hiscampaign to show solidarity with those suffering in the Gaza war. International cricket rules prohibit players making political protests.

“I think that Usman Khawaja having a dove on a shoe is a positive message of peace. It’s not a political message. It doesn’t take sides for any religion or any group. It is a positive message that he sought to be able to participate in,” Albanese said.

The prime minister also upped his language in response to Red Sea shipping attacks by Iran-backed Houthi rebels,a day afterAustralia joined a 12-nation coalition warning the rebels they would face consequences if they continue attacking vessels.

“What we want is for the attacks to end. This is about freedom of navigation and the attacks are completely unacceptable. And that’s why you’ve seen a response by the US led group of which Australia is contributing at the moment in Bahrain,” he said.

“This is a threat to global trade and that’s why we have responded.”