Australian Prime Minister accuses former opposition party staffer, of “trying to sell a book”.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been accused of asking for free personal flight upgrades directly from the former CEO of national carrier Qantas.

A new book by Australian journalist Joe Aston claims Albanese made several calls to ex-CEO Alan Joyce, and received upgrades on 22 flights taken between 2009 and 2019.

In a press conference earlier today, Albanese refused to answer whether he had previously spoken to Joyce about personal upgrades, but said he followed the rules and said he was “completely transparent” with all of his disclosures.

Albanese, who previously served as federal transport minister, also criticised Aston, saying he was “trying to sell a book”.

In his book, titled The Chairman’s Lounge: The Inside Story of How Qantas Sold Us Out, Aston – a former opposition party staffer – cites Qantas insiders as saying Albanese would speak to Joyce about his personal travel plans, according to media reports.

It is not unheard of for Australian politicians to get free flight upgrades though they are required to declare such gifts, according to Reuters.

In a press conference, Albanese refused to answer whether he had personally spoken to Joyce about upgrades, but said he did recall having two conversations with Joyce about flights that did not involve personal travel. He also added that some upgrades were paid for by the Labor Party.