ACT public service bosses flying high with Qantas
Every director-general in the ACT public service is a member of the exclusive Qantas Chairman's Lounge, but the government denies more expensive flights are chosen because of the access.
The ACT government has confirmed Kathy Leigh, head of service and director-general of the Chief Minister, Treasury and Economic Development directorate, was invited to become a member of the Qantas Chairman's Lounge, which operates on an invitation-only basis to leaders in governments and big business across the country.
The directors-general of every other directorate are also members of the Chairman's Lounge, after Ms Leigh requested they also be granted membership.
Under Treasurer David Nicol; Environment, Sustainability and Planning director General Ben Ponton; Education director general Natalie Howson; Transport Canberra and City Services director General Emma Thomas; Justice and Community Services director General Alison Playford; and ACT Health director general Michael De'Ath are all members of the Qantas Chairman's Lounge.
Acting director general for the Community Services directorate, Bernadette Mitcherson, is not a member of the lounge, an ACT government spokeswoman said.
Michael De'Ath is the only one of the directors-general to be a member of the Virgin equivalent, The Club.
Despite the request for membership for one major airline's exclusive club and not the other, the ACT government said this did not mean taxpayers weren't getting value for money.
"Airlines chosen for official travel are not based on whether the traveller has memberships for the Qantas Chairman’s Lounge or The Club," the ACT government spokeswoman said.
According to the ACT's public sector management standards, directors-general are responsible for implementing policies around official government travel for their directorates, with policies varying across each department. However, the separate policies must still be in line with the standards set out in that document.
The public sector management standards say the head of service, directors general and executives must choose the "lowest logical fare, economy class" for domestic trips shorter than four hours, and the "lowest logical fare, business class" for domestic trips longer than four hours.
Unlike their federal counterparts, ACT public servants are able to accrue frequent flyer points as part of official travel, but the points must be used for further official travel.
Other senior members of the ACT government are also members of the Qantas Chairman's Lounge, but their membership couldn't be confirmed without a full audit.