Good afternoon. Peter Dutton has questioned the “strange arrangements” of Anthony Albanese allegedly seeking free Qantas flight upgrades directly from Alan Joyce while serving as transport minister and opposition leader, as the Coalition sought to cast scrutiny on Labor’s relationship with the airline and its controversial former chief executive.
The reports, published over the weekend in extracts from a new book, state that Albanese declared flight upgrades on about 20 Qantas flights between 2009 and 2019 while he occupied various positions including transport minister, shadow transport minister and opposition leader.
“According to Qantas insiders,” the book claims, “Albanese would liaise with Joyce directly about his personal travel.”
Dutton, who said he took up to 190 flights a year, accepted he had occasionally accepted flight upgrades since joining parliament in 2001, but “none of [them] happened as a result of me calling my best friend Alan Joyce at Qantas”.
Albanese and senior Labor ministers have sought to downplay the reports, saying the perks had been disclosed on parliamentary interests registers as per longstanding rules.
Top news
Woman faces court over alleged Lidia Thorpe assault | Lawyers for Ebony Bell, charged with allegedly assaulting the independent senator outside a Melbourne AFL match in May, told the court the accused could only appear via video link because of “recent threats”.
Investigation begins into Sydney plane collision | Tributes have been paid to pilots Gary Criddle and Khadervali Gagguturu, who died with one other person after two small planes crashed in midair near Oakdale on Saturday, as they were flying through uncontrolled airspace.
Greenwashing case against Santos begins in federal court | Shareholder group the Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility alleged Santos’s failure to disclose anticipated growth in emissions from oil and gas exploration constituted misleading or deceptive conduct, in the first case to challenge the veracity of a company’s net zero emissions plan.
John Farnham opens up about ‘abusive’ first manager | In a new memoir, the 75-year-old singer wrote that his first manager, Darryl Sambell, “used me like a piece of meat”, accusing him of being “sexually aggressive” towards him and controlling what he sang, wore and ate.
UN chief calls Gaza civilians’ plight ‘unbearable’ | Approximately 70 people have been killed in Israeli airstrikes in the past day, health officials in Gaza said, as Israel’s renewed campaign in the north of the strip shows no sign of slowing despite the revival of ceasefire talks after a three-month-long hiatus.
Super rich exacerbating carbon inequality | The high carbon emissions of the world’s richest 1% are worsening hunger, poverty and excess deaths, a new report from Oxfam has found, with their luxury yachts, private jets and investments in polluting industries making it increasingly difficult to cap global heating at 1.5C.
Trump holds Madison Square Garden rally | Warm-up speakers made crude and racist remarks about Puerto Rico and Kamala Harris’s heritage at the New York event, while Trump reiterated claims about fighting “the enemy within” amid incoherent ramblings about ending a phone call with a “very, very important person” so he could watch one of Elon Musk’s rockets land.
Japanese PM says voters issued ‘severe judgment’ | Japan’s political future remains undecided after voters punished Shigeru Ishiba’s Liberal Democratic party and its longtime junior coalition partner, Komeito, on a bruising night which left no single party with a clear mandate.
Timothée Chalamet crashes lookalike contest | The actor made a surprise appearance at his own lookalike contest in New York, posing for photos with his doppelgängers. Even before his appearance, police ordered the large crowd to disperse, with organisers given a $500 fine for an “unpermitted costume contest”.
In pictures
Longdogs, lowriders and creative weiners: Dachshtober Longdog festival
Dachshund lovers Australia-wide descended on the village of Paterson in New South Wales’ Hunter Valley for a day of racing, fancy dress and all-round sausage dog appreciation.
What they said …
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“It was no before the election, and it’s no after.” – David Crisafulli
The newly sworn-in Queensland premier was asked whether he would reconsider implementing the Coalition’s proposed plan for nuclear sites in Queensland after the next federal election. Dutton, for his part, said he “respected” Crisafulli’s position, but hoped to have a “mature conversation” with “sensible premiers” about the policy.
In numbers
For the first time earlier this month, the ATO published details of the companies claiming annual government tax credits offered to support research and development programs. Among them were gambling companies Tabcorp ($39.5m), Aristocrat ($22.2m), Ainsworth Game Technology ($15m) and PointsBet ($9.95m). The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, raised the prospect of tightening access to the scheme, saying: “That’s the sort of issue that warrants our attention. And it will receive our attention.”
Before bed read
Remains of man whose death was recorded in 1197 saga uncovered in Norway
In 1197, an ancient saga relates, a body was flung into a well by the besiegers of Sverresborg castle outside Nidaros, now the central Norwegian city of Trondheim. More than 800 years later, scientists think they may have found him.
Daily word game
Today’s starter word is: GAD. You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply.
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