Catherine King refuses to front ‘political stunt’ Senate inquiry into Qatar Airways decision

The transport minister, Catherine King, has shot down calls for her to appear before a Senate inquiry examining her decision to reject Qatar Airways’ request for extra flights to Australia, labelling the probe “a political stunt”. The Senate committee on bilateral air agreements was launched in response to outcry from the aviation and tourism sectors over the Albanese government’s decision to block a Qatar proposal to almost double its flights into major cities amid questions about the influence of key rival Qantas in the process. King and government ministers have repeatedly refused to provide reasons for the decision, citing that it was against the “national interest”. King has previously claimed public interest immunity on details around her refusal of the request. Questions about King’s meetings with former Qantas CEO Alan Joyce had been raised throughout hearings last week, with committee chair Bridget McKenzie calling for both King and Joyce to front the inquiry. But on Tuesday evening King said “it is longstanding practice that House of Representatives members do not appear before Senate committees” and noted opposition leader Peter Dutton had himself refused to appear before senate inquiries in the past. “While Senator McKenzie is wasting time on a political stunt, I am spending time doing the hard work the Coalition never did to set our aviation sector up for the future,” King said.<br/>