My view is that its a potential conflict of interest while she is the Transport Minister.
Getting a benefit, or have the ability to get a benefit from an entity, whether earned of gifted, while being that entity's regulator most definitely IS a conflict of interest.
Lets look at this scenario: Minister has earned an stream of benefits for life from an airline. Airline gets into difficulties, requires Federal assistance. If Minister doesn't assist, airline may fold and lifetime benefits will be foregone. That decision creates a conflict of interest. It doesn't have to be in a sinister or corrupt way, but it is a conflict of interest. Ministers (or parliamentarians in general) should not allow themselves to get into a position of a conflict of interest.
Its happened. Possible remedy? Minister writes to Qantas asking them to suspend her QC membership, so she gets no benefit from it, while she is Minister (or in the Cabinet, I would say). Also should suspend her CL membership, but we know that's not going to happen. It wouldn't be a perfect solution, but would acknowledge the conflict of interest and demonstrate an attempt to mitigate it.
Goodness knows, she'll travel business everywhere, so its not as if she's going to lose anything except maybe Flounge access while travelling business, but some sacrifices need to be made ...
