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Federal Transport Minister Catherine King has said a strip search involving five Australian women in Doha was a factor behind her decision to reject Qatar Airways’ request to increase flights to Australia.
In July, the Labor government rejected a proposal by Qatar Airways to add 21 more Australian routes – an offer that could have cut airfares and boosted the tourism industry by $788 million.
The move has come under scrutiny after it was revealed that Qantas had pressured the government to do so before posting a record profit of $2.5billion in the course of the 2022/23 financial year.
But this morning Ms King pointed to the strip search of five Australian women as the “context” behind her decision to block Qatar Airways.
Five Australian women are taking legal action over their alleged strip search at Hamad International Airport – Qatar Airways headquarters in Doha – in October 2020.
It was revealed that King had sent a letter to the lawyers representing the five women on the same day that she officially denied Qatar Airways’ claim.
Federal Transport Minister Catherine King said a strip search involving five Australian women in Doha was a factor in her decision to reject Qatar Airways.
Anthony Albanese claims his only conversation about a Qatar Airways proposal was not with Qantas and denies blocking it to protect the Australian airline.
“It’s the only airline that something like this has happened to,” she said.
“That’s the context that’s there.”
The Minister added that “no factor influenced this decision”.
Foreign Secretary Marise Payne described the searches at the time as an “extremely disturbing, offensive and disturbing set of events”.
Asked if he had met Qantas CEO Alan Joyce, Mr Albanese told parliament he had had an ‘extensive conversation’ about the Qatar Airways deal but it was not with no Qantas representative.
“I have not received any lobbying from Qantas on this issue,” the Prime Minister said during Question Time on Monday.
He said the opposition’s questions about the arrangement stem from a “complete inability to understand the workings of the international air system”.
“We have the most open aviation market in the world, bar none,” he said.
“Qatar Airways can add more seats in Australia today, right now.”
Mr Albanese pointed out that when he was minister in 2009, he had doubled Qatar’s access from seven to 14 flights.
He said global aviation was not child’s play, giving the example of Australian carriers with limited access to European markets.
National Senate Leader Bridget McKenzie is pushing for an investigation into the decision.
“It’s very easy to assume that this government continues to wage a protection racket for the most criticized company in our country,” said Senator McKenzie.
“The Australian public deserve to know why you made (the decision), that it wasn’t just a warm and special relationship, that it wasn’t just a dirty business.”
Ms King pointed to the strip search of five Australian women at Qatar’s Hamad Airport in Doha (pictured) as the ‘context’ behind her decision to block Qatar Airways
Opposition leader Peter Dutton said there was “darkness” around the government’s rejection of Qatar Airways, describing it as a “love deal” with Qantas.
The Greens have introduced a motion in the Senate that would force the government to release documents about the decision.
Acting Queensland Prime Minister Steven Miles said he hoped “common sense would prevail” and that Qatar Airways’ decision would be reversed.
The calls come after a month of horror for Qantas, marked by a Senate row over delays, a potential $250 million fine and the revelation that CEO Alan Joyce had received more than $10 million in shares before his resignation.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is taking legal action after the carrier allegedly announced tickets for already canceled flights.
A Qantas spokesperson said the company would look into the claims made by the consumer watchdog, but acknowledged its standards “fall well short” as the airline emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The ACCC allegations come at a time when Qantas’ reputation has already been hit hard on a number of fronts,” the spokesperson said.
“We know the repair will take time and we are absolutely determined to do it.”