Federal Transport Minister King accepts lifetime QF Platinum membership

[Melburnian1]

From 'The Age':

Transport minister accepts lifetime membership to Qantas platinum​

Transport Minister Catherine King has accepted a lifetime membership to Qantas’ platinum frequent flyer rewards tier less than two years after MPs ceremonially handed over their membership to the airline’s VIP lounge following public backlash.
The minister, whose responsibilities include aviation and the courting of airlines to make use of the new Western Sydney International Airport, quietly updated her register of interests on Monday to reflect the gift she received from the airline.

The airline’s second-highest tier, behind platinum one, offers free access to first and business class lounges across the globe, additional baggage allowance, priority check-in, boarding and baggage access. It also offers priority upgrades and seat selection.
A Qantas frequent flyer would need to accrue 1400 status credits in a year to qualify for the platinum tier. A discount economy ticket between Sydney and Melbourne garners 10 points, meaning a traveller would need to fly between the capitals 140 times to reach the tier.
A lifetime membership to the tier requires 75,000 status credits, or 7500 Sydney to Melbourne flights.

 

[MELso]

If she achieved 75,000 SCs from BIS flying, this seems a wee bit sensationalised...

 

[drron]

A fair bit of conflict of interest. Not a good look and won't pass the pub test.

 

[Melburnian1]

If she achieved 75,000 SCs from BIS flying, this seems a wee bit sensationalised...

But if she has, this has (almost) all been on the public purse at a time when many Australians are under financial stress.

Not a good look by any means.

It runs the risk of compromising her decision making.

For instance, high speed rail is continually improving in technology and speed, yet unlike much of Europe and Asia, we continue to lack the comfort, speed, reliability and punctuality of HSR (although minor funding has been allocated for initial works between Sydney and Newcastle).

The airlines want to protect revenue from 'the golden triangle', so guess what they (in private) lobby against?

 

[craney]

Back of the envelope...

She's been an MP for 25 years, so that's something like 40 return MEL-CBR flights per year, without taking into account travelling nationally (frequently) or internationally (occasionally) as a minister.

40 weeks x 80 SC x 25 years = 80,000 SC

So yes, she'd have easily accrued 76,000 SC

Status credits accrue to parliamentarians and public servants (as opposed to frequent flyer points, which are not earned on government travel).

 

[craney]

The minister's office has said that the status us a function of the extent of travel, as it would be for anyone else accruing 76,000 SCs

SMH: "A spokeswoman for King told the Australian Financial Review – who first reported the gift – that the minister received the status by virtue of the extent to which she has travelled with the airline."

 

[MELso]

Back of the envelope...

She's been an MP for 25 years, so that's something like 40 return MEL-CBR flights per year, without taking into account travelling nationally (frequently) or internationally (occasionally) as a minister.

40 weeks x 80 SC x 25 years = 80,000 SC

So yes, she'd have easily accrued 76,000 SC

Status credits accrue to parliamentarians and public servants (as opposed to frequent flyer points, which are not earned on government travel).

Yup (and this is borne out by the statements from the Minister's office).

Next for the chopping block I'm guessing is SCs for federal government travel, but until this occurs, this is within the rules, whether or not people agree with them.

 

[Melburnian1]

The minister's office has said that the status us a function of the extent of travel, as it would be for anyone else accruing 76,000 SCs

SMH: "A spokeswoman for King told the Australian Financial Review – who first reported the gift – that the minister received the status by virtue of the extent to which she has travelled with the airline."

She has the option of declining to accept.

The article reminds us that some parliamentarians are no longer Chairman's Lounge members.

 

[sudoer]

The SMH headline and standfirst is outright misleading. "Would usually require" implies it didn't require 75k SC in this case, when it actually did.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

A fair bit of conflict of interest. Not a good look and won't pass the pub test.

Not sure there is a conflict of interest… unless she’s choosing Qantas - rather than VA - for the sole purpose of reaching the 75k?

And now that she has LTP, that a good thing! She won’t need to consider her relationship with QF at all going forward, she’s already attained the equivalent of ‘tenure’. So she needs no favours anymore.

She has the option of declining to accept.

I’ve never been given the option to decline status!! I only get an emails saying ‘congratulations, you’ve reached silver/gold/platinum’.

If doesn’t say ‘do you wish to accept the status?’.

Unless LTP is different?

 

[dajop]

Can see both sides of this. It is gifting something of value that's for sure. Maybe it should be held from being granted until after a politician exits parliament.

But it is different to CL access - it is following published criteria that is available to anyone (who does that level of travel), it's just following a process. It's not a matter of giving something special to the MInister expecting a quid pro quo. In fact Minister is probably Platinum (or P1) already, so the current incremental benefit is 0, it's a future benefit.

We seem to be more worried about this than campaign donations and buddy buddy clubs ....

 

[craney]

Yup (and this is borne out by the statements from the Minister's office).

Next for the chopping block I'm guessing is SCs for federal government travel, but until this occurs, this is within the rules, whether or not people agree with them.

Earlier this year the Dept of Finance decided to allow SCs to remain as part of government contract fares.

"Finance has decided against banning bureaucrats from accruing status credits on official bookings"

Qantas prevails in public servant status credit stoush

As reported by The Australian Financial Review, Finance has decided against banning bureaucrats from accruing status credits on official bookings, but has made it clear that public servants should not be eligible for promotions offering bonus credits.

australianaviation.com.au

 

[justinbrett]

And?

 

[Mattg]

If this really was a gift, i.e. given despite her not earning the required status credits, this is a huge conflict of interest. It’s a very valuable gift being given to the person in charge of regulating the aviation industry in Australia. I wonder what Qantas hopes/expects to get in return? (And if the answer is “nothing” then why would they do it?)

This really doesn’t smell good.

 

[Feech La Manna]

If she earned the status the hard way - the long way by accruing SCs - why would she declare it as a gift?

Key question to her/her office is did she get the LT Plat Status by accruing 75000 SCs or not. We have a right to know if her position, and Qantas isnt exactly shy about gaining influence by using gifts.

 

[SYD]

If this really was a gift, i.e. given despite her not earning the required status credits, this is a huge conflict of interest. It’s a very valuable gift being given to the person in charge of regulating the aviation industry in Australia. I wonder what Qantas hopes/expects to get in return? (And if the answer is “nothing” then why would they do it?)

This really doesn’t smell good.

No, BIS flying.

There must be hundreds of current and former Pollies that racked up LTP now and probably P1 year on year.

 

[sudoer]

If she earned the status the hard way - the long way by accruing SCs - why would she declare it as a gift?

The same reason Albanese and Wong have also declared LTP in the last couple of years - it could be considered 'any sponsored travel or hospitality' exceeding a value of $300, and it's better to err on the side of caution and over declare, particularly given scrutiny around CL memberships.

Key question to her/her office is did she get the LT Plat Status by accruing 75000 SCs or not.

Her office has already confirmed this in the AFR article. She got there on SCs.

This is also being discussed in two separate threads, it may be worthwhile for a mod to merge them.