Anthony Albanese has tried to claim his relationship with Alan Joyce was a strictly professional one between a Prime Minister and a corporate titan, as he battles claims the Qantas boss was his 'personal travel agent' for free flights and upgrades.


However that characterization of the relationship was at odds with that made by Mr Joyce, who said he was 'good mates' with Mr Albanese and had been 'for years'.

In the wake of the explosive claims that the Prime Minister had Mr Joyce arrange free tickets and upgrades, Mr Albanese distanced himself from the Qantas chief.

When asked about about their relationship on Sunday Mr Albanese implied it was purely in a professional capacity, having been Transport Minister and shadow transport spokesperson before becoming Prime Minister. 

'He (Joyce) was the CEO of the national airline ... I had the same relationship with him that I have with John Borghetti as the CEO of Virgin,' Mr Albanese said.

That assessment was at odds with the many photos showing Mr Albanese and Mr Joyce apparently greatly enjoying each other's company. 

Mr Albanese and Mr Joyce were pictured in high spirits on the red carpet at the Qantas 100th Gala Dinner in March last year.

In photos from the event, Mr Joyce proudly walks the red carpet with one arm around the prime minister and the other around Mr Albanese's partner, Jodie Haydon.

Just five months later, in August, a smiling Mr Albanese attended Qantas's unveiling of it's special 'Yes 23' emblazoned airplanes for the Voice referendum.




Former Qantas CEO Alan Joyce jovially walked the red carpet with one arm around the prime minister and the other around his partner, Jodie Haydon for a special anniversary event last year

Mr Joyce was seen touching Mr Albanese's arm, with the PM bursting into laughter.

Even when Scott Morrison was PM,  Mr Joyce enjoyed an apparently close relationship with Mr Albanese as the pair stood close together at the launch of the Qantas' landmark Perth to London flight in March, 2018. 

During a Senate hearing in September 2023, Mr Joyce said he had been 'friends for years' with Mr Albanese.

Asked about why he gifted Mr Albanese's son Nathan a membership to the prestigious and exclusive Chairman's Lounge Mr Joyce refused to confirm or deny but talked up his relationship with the Prime Minister.

'I've been good mates with Albo for some time,' Mr Joyce said. 

However, the then Qantas CEO refused to say whether he lobbied the Prime Minister on the controversial decision to lock competitor Qatar Airways out of domestic routes.

It has since emerged in a new book about Qantas, The Chairman's Lounge, by former Australian Financial Review columnist Joe Aston that Ms Haydon is also a Chairman's Lounge member. 




Mr Albanese and Mr Joyce also appeared to greatly enjoying each other's company at  a Qantas event in August last year




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Reports have emerged in a new book Mr Albanese received 22 upgrades from economy from Qantas and he would liaise personally with the former airline boss for them. 

Aston also alleged Mr Albanese directly contacted Mr Joyce while in his various parliamentary jobs to ask for special upgrades for himself or his family.

According to unnamed Qantas 'insiders' 11 of the 22 flights Mr Albanese received upgrades for were 'privately funded' and included overseas trips to Rome, London, Los Angeles and Honolulu, with some being for holidays.

Mr Albanese insisted on Tuesday that the London flights was for work purposes and all were 'declared in the appropriate way'.    

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has leapt on the accusations describing Mr Albanese as being the 'best friend' of Mr Joyce. 

Mr Dutton told Sky News on Monday night it was 'strange' Mr Albanese had directly contacted Mr Joyce to request upgrades while holding a regulatory position in the transport sector.

'If you're the Transport Minister and you're picking up the phone to one of the most important stakeholders in the portfolio asking for a free upgrade, then again, I think the Prime Minister would be able to answer those questions more effectively than anyone else because I'm not aware of anyone else having done it,' Mr Dutton said.





It has since emerged that Ms Haydon also has membership of the Qantas Chairman's Lounge



The Prime Minister denied frequently asking Mr Joyce for upgrades on Tuesday at press conference in the NSW city of Newcastle.

'The only discussions that I can recall with Alan Joyce certainly were not discussed through calls - we discussed the first flight from Australia to Dubai on the A380,' he said.

'I've declared everything in accordance with all of the rules.'

Aston was asked on Monday night by ABC interviewer Sarah Ferguson about how confident he was that Mr Albanese had made calls personally to Mr Joyce for upgrades.

'I am very comfortable with my sourcing,' Aston said.

Asked whether he thought Mr Albanese had been influenced by Mr Joyce's lobbying to block UAE airline Qatar domestically Aston said it was 'implausible' to think that the Prime Minister's office had nothing to do with the decision.




Mr Albanese's son Nathan, 24, has reportedly also been granted access to the Qantas Chairman's Lounge (pictured, Mr Albanese and son Nathan in May, 2022)

'It's very hard to imagine a decision of any political sensitivity in the Albanese government that would not go through the Prime Minister's office,' Aston replied.

He noted the opening up of the Australian domestic market Qatar had seemingly been sailing through with Transport Minister Catherine King speaking warmly about the proposal until 'everything changed' to stop it dead in tracks. 

 Ms King repeatedly denied in parliament the decision to block Qatar was due to Qantas lobbying her or any Labor colleagues.

Despite Mr Albanese claiming he declared every upgrade received from Qantas the Australian Financial Review reported on Tuesday that he failed to do for his former wife Carmel Tebbutt when the two traveled together.




Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has  questioned the alleged personal requests Mr Albanese made to Mr Joyce  while in his various parliamentary jobs





Even when Scott Morrison was prime minister, Mr Joyce appeared to have a close relationship with Mr Albanese (the pair are pictured at an event in 2019)

Sky New host Sharri Markson on Monday night labeled Mr Joyce as 'basically Albanese's personal travel agent.'

'This is all a question of integrity. Most Australians struggle to afford even an economy airfare. They'd never be able to afford the luxury of business class. It's out of our reach,' she said.

'Can Albanese truly be impartial when it comes to making decisions about Qantas when he's been getting tens of thousands of dollars worth of free upgrades to business class? The revelations puts the decision he made as transport minister and prime minister under a cloud.



'Aside from the integrity issues, this revelation is also politically lethal. Albanese took care to curate a self-image of a housing commission boy who made it. But now the perception is cementing of a long-term pollie enjoying the perks of public office.'

Another awkward paradox of Mr Albanese's  apparent close relationship with Mr Joyce is that the Labor leader in a trade unionist advocate while Qantas attempted to break the power of the Transport Workers Union by sacking 1700 staff during Covid. 

The sacking has since been ruled illegal by Federal Court in a case brought by the union with Qantas facing possible hundreds of thousands in compensation payouts. 

The friendship however did find one perhaps unlikely defender in semi-retired 3AW radio star Neil Mitchell. 

'Quick test: upgrade Albo is a bad look,' Mitchell wrote on X.

'But does anybody believe he was seriously compromised by having Alan Joyce as a bestie? Time to rewrite rules governing politicians.' 

WHAT IS THE QANTAS CHAIRMAN'S CLUB?

The Qantas Chairman's Lounge is an invitation-only club approved by the company chairman, with the guest list a closely-guarded secret.

It has been dubbed ¿the most exclusive club in the country¿ and comes with a distinct black card.

Members include senior-ranking MPs including ministers, state premiers and the Prime Minister, leaders of major unions and sporting groups, Qantas ambassadors, selected A-list celebrities, major corporate figures and high-profile media personalities.


The clubs can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide but are not signed, you have to know where to look.

Inside you will find expensive wood and brass furnishings, wool carpet and marble flooring all bathed in natural light. 

Members enjoy fine à la carte dining with a complimentary premium array of beers, spirits and Australian wines. Wine bottles are often given as departing gift

Facilities may also include spas, showers and an assortment of books and magazines.

Members may bring in two guests at a time. 

Lounge attendants personally alert you when your flight is to board and your personal preferences are logged for each flight. Membership also entitles you to first-class facilities at Qantas partner airlines.

free upgrades where they are available and a hotline to Qantas's customer service for any and all travel needs. 

Source: Executive Traveller

 

 

 



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Joker: Folie À Deux — starring Lady Gaga and Joaquin Phoenix — has garnered the lowest CinemaScore in comic book movie history as the film bombed at the box office on opening night. 

The psychological musical thriller — which has been criticized as 'bleak' and 'disappointing' — officially released in theaters on Friday, October 4, but it only raked in $20 million at the domestic box office, per The Hollywood Reporter. 

Phoenix reprised his role as the Joker in the sequel, which had earned him an Oscar for his portrayal in the 2019 film, while Gaga took on the role of Harleen Lee Quinzel (Harley Quinn). 

However, Joker: Folie À Deux has been given a D rating on CinemaScore — the lowest score for a comic book movie. 

Madame Web — which notably also flopped in theaters earlier this year and also received terrible reviews — holds a higher score with a C+. 




Joker: Folie À Deux - starring Lady Gaga and Joaquin Phoenix - has garnered the lowest CinemaScore in comic book movie history as the film bombs at the box office on opening night





It received a D rating on CinemaScore - the lowest score for a comic book movie

On Rotten Tomatoes, the movie currently holds an audience score of 31% and a critic score of 32%. 

The sequel is projected to rake in less that $50 million at the domestic box office during the entirety of opening weekend, per The Hollywood Reporter. 



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Joker: Folie À Deux is branded 'bleak' and the 'most disappointing follow-up' by critics


Weeks ago, the movie had been projected to bring in around $70 million - but the number has since drastically dropped. 

Joker (2019) notably opened with $96.2 million when the film first released in theaters - and eventually landed a little over $1 billion in the global box office. 

The first movie - which was also directed by Todd Phillips - had a budget of between $55 and $70 million. However, the budget increased for Folie À Deux to around $200 million. 

The 2019 movie garnered praise and positive reviews from both critics and audiences - and won the Golden Lion during the 76th Venice International Film Festival. 

Joaquin received an Oscar for Best Actor for his portrayal of the Joker (Arthur Fleck) - and the film garnered an additional Academy Award for Best Original Score. 

The sequel also screened during the Venice International Film Festival last month in September, where it earned a 12-minute standing ovation, per Deadline.   




On Rotten Tomatoes, the movie currently holds an audience score of 31% and a critic score of 32%







However, audiences have since taken to X after the movie released in theaters on Friday - and shared their opinions on the sequel, which features musical sequences. 

One fan penned, 'Joaquin Phoenix don't deserve this.
what happened to the script?' while another added, 'is it that bad,' followed by a crying face emoji. 

'Ironically I feel that a musical, if done well, could have been a good choice. It'd show how much of an unreliable narrator Fleck is,' one typed. 

'But with some original songs, that keep everything vague, not just covers. Also when I heard of the ending I snorted fr.' 

A social media user wrote, 'Stop making sequels as musicals if the original wasn't a musical.' 

'Maybe he [Phillips] only had an hour long movie, and decided to randomly add musical scenes to fill the runtime,' one penned. 

'Joker downfall really needs to be studied,' another shared, along with a monkey staring out a window. 

One fan said, 'the movie sucks. i had to walk out of the cinema,' while another penned, 'After years of disagreement....*Joker 2 releases* Critics [shaking hands] Audience.' 




The sequel is projected to only rake in less that $50 million in the domestic box office during the entirety of opening weekend, per The Hollywood Reporter





However, audiences have since taken to X after the movie released in theaters on Friday - and shared their opinions over the sequel, which was also a musical





'Ironically I feel that a musical, if done well, could have been a good choice. It'd show how much of an unreliable narrator Fleck is,' one typed















'Joker downfall really needs to be studied,' another shared, along with a monkey staring out a window

'That's way below what we expected,' one wrote in regards to the current Rotten Tomatoes scores. 'People are saying this is the worst sequel ever.' 

A fan explained, 'yea this film was bad. it was pretentious and dull. has the aesthetic of an arthouse film without the substance.' 

'It also insults the audience's intelligence. the songs were also underwhelming too. they shouldn't have let this escape to theaters.' 

One shared, 'The audience that loved the first movie is not the same audience running to see musicals. This was a gigantic mistake from step 1.' 

During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Phillips discussed whether he would be interested in making a third Joker film or a movie centered around Gaga's character. 

'It's not really where this movie is headed for me. I feel like my time in the DC Universe was these two films.' 

Ahead of the movie's release, Lady Gaga also dropped an accompanying album titled Harlequin on September 27. 

Joker: Folie À Deux has been branded the 'most disappointing follow-up to the Oscar-winning movie' by critics, as they cast doubt on Lady Gaga's 'thin' role in the film following its release on Friday. 









'That's way below what we expected,' one wrote in regards to the current Rotten Tomatoes scores. 'People are saying this is the worst sequel ever'





A fan explained, 'yea this film was bad. it was pretentious and dull. has the aesthetic of an arthouse film without the substance'

The 'bleak' sequel, has also received a tepid reception from fans, with some claiming Lady Gaga's career could be at risk.

While the same director Todd Phillips was back in the hot seat, critics have said the sequel is just a 'repeat' of the first hit but with an added musical twist.

Most critics have said Todd failed to use Gaga correctly in the movie and claimed she was only bought in for the musical aspect of it.

While the majority of critics say Joker: Folie À Deux didn't live up to expectations, others have dubbed the movie 'bold' and 'brilliant.' 

Daily Mail's Brian Viner commended the move as 'bold' and 'brilliant' but said it lacked any thrill. 

The Independent's Geoffrey Macnab said: 'Today Joker is best remembered as one of the most subversive and original films of the last decade, while its hugely anticipated sequel is just as bleak and formally daring as its predecessor'.

Meanwhile, the Irish Times' Donald Clarke gave the movie just two stars but credited Phillips' work for making a sequel following the first movie's $1billion success.

Financial Times critic Danny Leigh said although Gaga worked hard to bump the ratings up in the sequel, Phillips appeared to have no idea what to do with her. 

Giving a three star rating, The Guardian's Peter Bradshaw claimed the movie proves 'claustrophobic' and 'repetitive.'




During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Phillips discussed whether he would be interested in making a third Joker film or a movie centered around Gaga's character; Phillips, Gaga and Phoenix seen in September in L.A. 





Joker: Folie À Deux has been branded the 'most disappointing follow-up to the Oscar-winning movie' by critics, as they cast doubt on Lady Gaga's 'thin' role in the film following its release on Friday; seen in September in London 

The Times' Kevin Maher wrote: 'The director Todd Phillips said there would be no follow-up to the original, but he changed his mind and the result is a derivative musical'

'This might be the most disappointing follow-up to an Oscar-winning performance since Anthony Hopkins reworked his silky and terrifying Dr Lecter from for the campy, kitschy.' 

Along with Lady Gaga and Joaquin Phoenix, other stars that had appeared in the sequel include Brendan Gleeson, Catherine Keener, Zazie Beatz and Steve Coogan. 

Joker: Folie à Deux has faced additional backlash from fans as they have claimed that Gaga is running the risk of losing her acting career. 


Lady GagaJoaquin Phoenix