AFR - Chairman's Lounge Ban for Labour Politicians / Officials ?

[serfty]

A motion proposed for June’s Victorian Labor Party state conference and distributed to delegates last month aims to add membership of Qantas’ Chairman’s Lounge to a list of proscribed organisations banned to party members.

Chairman’s Lounge ban looms for Labor MPs

Labor politicians should have no part in “angry Alan’s grace and favour club”, says the CEPU’s Earl Setches.

www.afr.com

 

[CaptJCool]

And this on the heels of the AFR newspaper being banned from QC and CL. to do with a Rear Window article in the past week

 

[33kft]

This being VIC labor rather than federal labor, I wonder how many CLs that would impact

Wouldn't mind catching Tim Pallas in the J lounge one day to discuss VIC fiscal policy, they might quickly reverse course when they realise this means they have to mix with us?

 

[levelnine]

This would be a disaster for Qantas. If politicians start getting banned from holding CL memberships, Qantas suddenly loses one of its biggest levers over government officials.

Ironically, Qantas needs politicians to have access to the CL more than the actual politicians do!

 

[kpc]

I wish Albo would direct all his fellow MPs to decline CL membership...it is such a disguised bribe and presents as a conflict of interest at so many levels!

 

[justinbrett]

I wish Albo would direct all his fellow MPs to decline CL membership...it is such a disguised bribe and prsents as a conflict of interest at so many levels!

And Virgin's Beyond lounge or are we just talking about QF?

This would be a disaster for Qantas. If politicians start getting banned from holding CL memberships, Qantas suddenly loses one of its biggest levers over government officials.

Ironically, Qantas needs politicians to have access to the CL more than the actual politicians do!

QF doesn't need Victorian state MPs.

 

[levelnine]

QF doesn't need Victorian state MPs.

I didn't say Victorian MPs. But if one State starts, there will be pressure for other jurisdictions to follow. It has been the same with all election integrity issues in Australia — ICACs, donation bans, etc etc — one jurisdiction breaks the consensus and soon others find themselves under pressure to follow suit.

 

[justinbrett]

I didn't say Victorian MPs. But if one State starts, there will be pressure for other jurisdictions to follow. It has been the same with all election integrity issues in Australia — ICACs, donation bans, etc etc — one jurisdiction breaks the consensus and soon others find themselves under pressure to follow suit.

Hard to have this discussion on AFF where political posts are prohibited - but I don't think I'm shaking any trees by saying Victoria is the heartland of the Union movement. Those results won't necessarily be repeated elsewhere.

If Vic Labor ban QF CL but not VA Beyond, then clearly this is just a continuation of the Union Movements campaign against QF and nothing to do with integrity of MPs.

And if on the federal level they ban QF and not VA the government will find themselves in legal strife - I remember back in the day when DJ was jumping up and down about QF getting preferential access to government.

 

[levelnine]

Disagree, but forgot about the no politics discussion, so won't continue the conversation.

 

[Quickstatus]

What does CL have to do with Representative democracy. It is just overt rent seeking which is a nice way of saying Bribe

 

[Franky]

Chairman’s Lounge ban looms for Labor MPs

Labor politicians should have no part in “angry Alan’s grace and favour club”, says the CEPU’s Earl Setches.

www.afr.com

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[kpc]

And Virgin's Beyond lounge or are we just talking about QF?

Beyond Lounge too!

 

[justinbrett]

Beyond Lounge too!

I note the AFR article has been updated to remove the quote about the "Angry Alan's Grace and Favour Club" contained in the OP's article stub.

Wonder what the story is there.

Actually I googled Earl Setches for news - and it seems he has had a - shall we say - colourful history - over the last few years.

 

[Gold Member]

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[RooFlyer]

With respect to admittance to CL or the VA equivalent.

Just a thought. I'm totally in favour of NOT having our pollies being given access as a gift - it is a conflict of interest when they are regulators of there skies through legislation.

But I don't think the senior pollies at least should have to run the gauntlet of all and sundry dissatisfied punters for an hour or so before a flight. And we do want then to fly commercial, not government charters ( except PM and select others).

So - pollies and senior public servants should be required to pay for QP, CL & them all, out of own pockets (audited) so they are free to screw down on the airlines if needs be.

BTW, is there any other 'club' etc that is equivalent to CL etc outside the airlines where membership is gifted to pollies?

 

[justinbrett]

So - pollies and senior public servants should be required to pay for QP, CL & them all, out of own pockets (audited) so they are free to screw down on the airlines if needs be.

BTW, is there any other 'club' etc that is equivalent to CL etc outside the airlines where membership is gifted to pollies?

Well they would easily have WP status, probably P1 status, based on how much they fly. I've seen Bob Katter and Barnaby Joyce in the BNE DOM J lounge several times.

The Department of Finance (who have authority for travel entitlements) permit accrual and use of status credits (but not points) for government travel - thereby making free lounge access on account of frequent travel permitted.

I'm not sure of the argument against APS - considering many of them are in departments that couldn't possibly benefit QF. If it doesn't cost the taxpayer anything, and it's recognition that the government is QF's largest customer, I don't see the issue.

I think you can make the argument against elected officials who can influence policy - but from what I read of the OP's article - that's not the reason for this proposal - this is simply to bite back at QF based on its past handling of industrial action. Unless and until VA is included in this, I don't know how you'd argue otherwise.

 

[Princess Fiona]

With respect to admittance to CL or the VA equivalent.

Just a thought. I'm totally in favour of NOT having our pollies being given access as a gift - it is a conflict of interest when they are regulators of there skies through legislation.


BTW, is there any other 'club' etc that is equivalent to CL etc outside the airlines where membership is gifted to pollies?

Plenty of gifts outside CL / Beyond membership that could be considered a conflict of interest.
We don’t see anything under $300 of course but big ticket sport events galore are gifted to various politicians from gambling interests, AHA.
Plenty of travel junkets, cases of wine etc etc.

In regards to Private Clubs there are certainly some MPs who declare membership of them on the register.
There are none as far as I’m aware that issue widespread free membership to all pollies. They wouldn’t be big enough anyway to take them all. Some are male only etc.

 

[jb747]

Great idea. They should not be able to access any lounges. Mixing with their actual employers, instead of accepting what is, after all, nothing but graft and corruption, might be good for them. It's even worse than trying to bribe cabin crew with gifts.

 

[UP4014]

Try this for some reading, they show CL memberships.

Register of Members' Interests – 47th Parliament

Register

www.aph.gov.au

 

[Franky]

Plenty of gifts outside CL / Beyond membership that could be considered a conflict of interest.
We don’t see anything under $300 of course but big ticket sport events galore are gifted to various politicians from gambling interests, AHA.
Plenty of travel junkets, cases of wine etc etc.

In regards to Private Clubs there are certainly some MPs who declare membership of them on the register.
There are none as far as I’m aware that issue widespread free membership to all pollies. They wouldn’t be big enough anyway to take them all. Some are male only etc.

And yet one NSW Premier was ’forced’ to resign because he accepted 1 bottle of red wine from a source which excapes me now…