Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Wong. Yesterday the Queensland Labor government's Acting Premier stated that, if the decision to approve or reject Qatar Airways' application for additional international flights had been up to the Queensland government, they would have been approved. They went on to say 'arriving passengers deliver economic activity here, and that creates jobs and prosperity' and that the capacity would create supply, which drives prices down. Yesterday the South Australian Labor government also said that more flights and more international airlines drive down prices and encourage more international visitors. At the end of last week, the federal President of the Labor Party, Wayne Swan, urged the Albanese Labor government to reconsider the Qatar Airways decision, saying:

An appropriate review where things are, given all these revelations, would be good.

Will the Prime Minister listen to the criticisms from the Queensland and South Australian Labor governments and follow the calls of Mr Swan by committing to undertake a review of his government's decision on this matter?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you to Senator Birmingham for the question. If I may, I also welcome the members of the ADF here to parliament; I trust this will be interesting for you! We thank you, as always as one, for your service to our country.

I would make a few comments in response and in answer to senator Birmingham's question. The first point I would make is that, obviously, requests for additional capacity are made routinely by governments around the world, including Australia, and these requests aren't always granted. In the case of the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority's request, Minister King determined it was not in Australia's national interest to grant their request. I would make the point that this is not the first time this happened. The previous government made the same decision about Qatar.

Qatar's growth in Australia obviously has not happened as quickly as its authorities want, nor in such big leaps, and we recognise that some businesses and airlines would like to see Minister King make a different decision. But, as those opposite might recall, governments don't have the luxury of focusing on vested interests. We have to focus on the national interest, and the Australian government will support recovery and sustainable growth in the aviation sector.

I would also make the point, because I am asked about Premier Malinauskas, that Premier Malinauskas was not reflecting on this decision. The Premier knows that Qatar can fly unlimited flights into Adelaide directly. We know that the Premier has been working hard to increase—

An opposition senator interjecting—

Was that a negative comment about Adelaide? I thought we might have had some bipartisanship on something. (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Birmingham, a supplementary question?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

BIRMINGHAM (—) (): On Sunday, when discussing the launch of new flights by Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines, the transport minister said:

Increased capacity and new entrants to the Australian market will help lower prices.

Does the government agree that increased capacity helps to lower prices? If this applies to Cathay Pacific and Singapore, why does it not to apply to Qatar Airways on its routes? What is the rationale for the national interest decision being made?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is important that Australians can access international travel and tourists can visit our shores. That's why we have an air services agreement with more than 100 countries, and that's why capacity is going up. As you yourself said, Senator Birmingham, Cathay Pacific, China Southern and Singapore Airlines have announced more flights. I again remind those opposite—and I'm surprised Senator Birmingham doesn't get on the same ticket as me and start to argue for more flights by Qatar in and out of Adelaide—Qatar has no capacity constraints when flying to our secondary gateways. They could fly larger planes into our primary gateways if they chose to.

Senator Birmingham mentions Qantas. I agree with him, and I agree with Peter Malinauskas. We would urge Qantas to reinstate international flights to and from Adelaide—something the Labor state government has been advocating. And I join with the state government in saying that we'd like to see more Qantas flights in and out of Adelaide. (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Birmingham, a second supplementary?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, in the lead-up to the last election the Prime Minister claimed:

… when I make a mistake, I'll fess up to it, and I'll set about correcting that mistake. I won't blame someone else, I'll accept responsibility. That's what leaders do.

In light of the intense criticism from the tourism industry, the endless inconsistencies in Minister King's public statements, the views of the Queensland Labor government and the statement of federal Labor President Wayne Swan, why won't the Prime Minister take responsibility for his government's mistake in the handling of the Qatar Airways application and set about correcting it?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Let's remember the record of those opposite. They gave billions of taxpayer dollars to Qantas for nothing in return. They stood by as Virgin collapsed into administration, watched while it was snatched up by foreign private equity. They oversaw mass outsourcing of jobs and labour hire, driving down wages and conditions across the sector. They cut JobKeeper from dnata workers and left their families in the lurch. And when in government they made the same decision about Qatar.

These are the people who are now playing a lot of politics for some vested interest that they are happy to argue for about this decision. Frankly, we're not going to take lectures from you when it comes to the aviation sector. We know the history of the coalition when it comes to aviation. I again would say that Qatar faces no restrictions in increasing its secondary gateway traffic. (Time expired)