Qantas refused to name public servants in exclusive club

The Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet requested the airline provide the names of all staff who held Chairman's Lounge membership last year, documents published to the department's freedom-of-information log reveal.

Membership of the exclusive club is by invitation only from Qantas' chief executive officer, and the airline has been extending invites to senior public servants for some time.

But until 2023, the public service saw no need to disclose the memberships, which were considered out of scope of reporting rules for gifts and benefits, because they are priceless.

Public Service Commissioner Gordon de Brouwer updated that advice in October 2023, forcing agencies to publish lists of the officials who held the membership.

This revealed that every boss of a major agency held a key to the secretive lounges, alongside a range of officials in the senior ranks in key government bodies.

But ahead of the rule change, Qantas refused to hand over the names of those it had approached in the federal government's central agency.

Following a request from the department in August 2023, corporate account manager Henry Barrington wrote back that the airline "does not publish lists" of Chairman's Lounge membership.

"Qantas Chairman's Lounge membership is by invitation only from the CEO of Qantas," he wrote.

"There is no cost associated with Chairman's Lounge membership and candidates may [accept] or decline the invitation which in the government context has traditionally been extended to deputy secretaries and secretaries.

"Qantas does not publish lists of our Chairman's Lounge members."

But a public servant from the department wrote back the same day to remind the airline they were dealing with the federal government.

"Unfortunately, Chairman's Lounge access is a benefit provided to public service employees which must be reported on our website regardless of cost," the email reads.

"Our financial compliance team have asked for this information to ensure that staff are declaring these benefits and we are complying with Commonwealth government policies.

"Are you able to provide this information or should we seek further advice from the Department of Finance?"

No further correspondence on this issue was published in the documents, and The Canberra Times understands that Qantas did not provide a list of names.

Public servants are required to declare gifts and benefits, and the department has since published the names of eight officials who have access to the Chairman's Lounge.

"Staff who hold invitation-only airline memberships are required to declare this annually on July 1 or when their circumstances change," a spokesperson for the agency said.

Qantas declined to comment because they do not comment on matters relating to the Chairman's Lounge.

The correspondence also reveals Qantas' practices around extending invitations to senior public servants, sometimes just days after their appointment.

The airline wrote to Department of Veterans' Affairs secretary Alison Frame to congratulate her on her appointment, four days after it was announced.

They offered to grant her partner Chairman's Lounge membership, which the secretary declined.

In an email congratulating Prime Minister and Cabinet secretary Glyn Davis on his elevation to the role, Qantas' ACT regional manager Colin Thomas, said he enjoyed a "great relationship" with the department's staff.

"I am the senior Qantas person here in Canberra and enjoy a great relationship with the Department's staff through the provisions of the Whole of Australian Government Travel Contract which I manage on behalf of Qantas," Mr Thomas wrote.

Mr Thomas also placed Professor Davis and his partner Professor Margaret Gardner on the "VIP list" and said he would "try and catch up with them both in the Chairman's Lounge" before an impending trip.