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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has deflected questions over his son Nathan’s membership of the Qantas Chairman’s Lounge and an internship he undertook at consulting firm PwC, saying the 23-year-old is not a public figure.
The Australian Financial Review’s Rear Window column has published a series of articles detailing the young Albanese’s reported membership of the exclusive club and a two-week unpaid internship in 2021.
Albanese celebrates his election victory with partner Jodie Haydon and son Nathan last year.Credit: Janie Barrett
The newspaper – whose owner, Nine, also owns this masthead – cited sources who claimed Albanese discussed the internship with the firm’s then-head of government relations in early 2021, before it began in June of that year.
Asked about the reports on Monday, Albanese declined to provide detailed answers, saying: “My son is not a public figure. He is a young person trying to make his way in the world.”
“It is up to you to ask whatever questions you like, but I refer you to David Littleproud’s comments that were entirely appropriate when he was asked.”
Littleproud, the Nationals leader, said earlier on Monday that he knew Albanese’s son, and he was an upstanding young man.
“He’ll make a great contribution to wherever he goes. I don’t think we need to get into the personal attacks of family members, from my perspective anyway,” Littleproud said.
The Parliament of Australia website states MPs should declare “interests which may conflict, or may be seen to conflict, with their public duty”.
It adds: “The registrable interests of which the member is aware of the member’s spouse/partner and any children wholly or mainly dependent on the member for support must also be included in the statement.”
Asked if he had properly followed obligations to disclose his personal interests, Albanese said: “I completely comply with all of the requirements of the register.”
MPs are offered membership of the Qantas Chairman’s Lounge, and many MPs’ spouses are members. This masthead is not suggesting Albanese has failed to comply with disclosure rules.
Federal Infrastructure Minister Catherine King.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
Rear Window columnist Joe Aston, who worked as an adviser at Qantas more than a decade ago, has raised Nathan Albanese’s membership in the context of what he claims are Albanese government actions favouring Qantas. These include a move by Infrastructure Minister Catherine King to block Qatar Airways from adding 28 weekly flights to Australia, the rationale for which she has struggled to explain.
Outgoing Qantas boss Alan Joyce earlier this month declined to comment on whether Nathan Albanese had been extended an invitation to the Qantas Chairman’s Lounge.
“I’ve been good mates with Albo for some time, but the assumption that whatever I do would get political favours is not happening,” he said.
Aston wrote on Monday that he was not seeking to attack Albanese’s son and “we would be very happy to leave Nathan Albanese out of our coverage”.
“However, that would require his father to exercise better judgment, and proper disclosure.”
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