Invitation-only airline lounge memberships are being scrutinised at the highest levels of the APS. Photo: File.
The Australian Public Service is cracking down on the use of the exclusive Qantas Chairman’s lounge, devising a consistent set of rules over whether the invitation-only free memberships should be accepted.
But it is unlikely to entirely ban patronage by senior public servants as many of the APS’s highest-ranking officers are welcomed behind the privately marked doors in airports around the nation and beyond.
The APS’s Secretaries Board has met to discuss the issue and promised to devise consistent guidelines by the end of this year.
The Secretaries Board is chaired by the Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Glyn Davis, and co-chaired by APS Commissioner Gordon de Brouwer. The board’s membership comprises all federal department secretaries.
“The board agreed on the need for a consistent approach to reporting of invitation-only airline lounge memberships across the APS,” the communique of its last meeting stated.
“The APSC will develop guidance for agencies by the end of 2023.”
The issue became problematic for the APS earlier this month when Qantas was forced to reveal to Parliament the use of its exclusive club by senior public servants.
According to Qantas, all Senior Executive Service Band 2 and Band 3 APS officers are offered Chairman’s Lounge memberships.
The exclusive club can even provide cabin upgrades, in addition to fine dining and waiting staff in private lounges.
Qantas’s evidence to a Senate inquiry said the airline offers Chairman’s Lounge membership to secretaries and deputy secretaries of Commonwealth departments, as well as the chairs, chief commissioners and chief executives of key agencies.
Senior military officers are also invited.
While Qantas would not divulge the names of senior public servants who use the lounge, the gifts and benefits register listed on the PM&C website notes that Professor Davis and a string of the department’s deputy secretaries have the free memberships.
Some also have free membership to Virgin’s exclusive Australia Beyond lounges, which will also be included along with all free lounge memberships in the Secretaries Board’s reporting guidelines.
PM&C Secretary and Deputy Secretaries with Qantas Chairman’s Club membership (July to September 2023). Table: PMC.
The Secretaries Board also discussed, among other things, the implementation of the APS Integrity Taskforce’s final report, with a view to making it available on the board’s website.
The board meets monthly to discuss strategies for improving the APS and setting priorities.
Meanwhile, independent senator Jacqui Lambie has turned her attention to federal politicians who might be abusing taxpayers’ money by exploiting travel on special-purpose RAAF flights.
While numerous politicians have Chairman’s Lounge memberships, it’s the VIP flights the government operates that has got the Tasmanian senator riled.
This week, she used the Senate chamber to blast the government for hiding the names of passengers that federal MPs take on the RAAF flights.
Defence used to publish all names and purposes of passengers on such flights, but that practice stopped in 2021, citing ‘national security’ as the reason.
But Senator Lambie is having none of it, accusing the government of trying to avoid transparency.
She said there was “absolutely no reason for your name not to be released” if you are on a special purpose aircraft unless there is a national security issue.
Taxpayers had a right to know who was using their money, she argued.
“There is no reason to hide who was on those VIP flights. If you can’t tell us, I have to ask: what are you hiding?” Senator Lambie said.
“Have we had too many family members running around? Have you had people on there that you don’t want others to know you’re associated with? Have we got union members or golf buddies? What’s going on here?
“Anyway, you let us all know when you’re big enough to pass those manifests over so that we can see who was on those flights instead of trying to hide everything under a rock.
“It is not helpful in this nation. That is why they have no trust in us. Quite frankly, I don’t blame Australians. I wouldn’t have any trust in us either, and I don’t. Start being transparent and start getting the job done.”
Original Article published by Chris Johnson on Riotact.
