Energy Minister Chris Bowen has defended the use of two jets to get himself and the Prime Minister to the same solar energy announcement in the Hunter Valley.
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A picture of two Dassault Falcon 7X jets belonging to the Royal Australian Airforce snapped last Thursday morning was posted to a local community Facebook page, leading to questions about why two planes were needed to take Mr Albanese and Mr Bowen from Canberra to the same event in Scone.
Mr Albanese and Mr Bowen were going to the Hunter Valley that day to announce $1 billion in funding for the “Solar SunShot” program to encourage the local manufacture of solar panels.
Records on the Flight Aware website indicate that two Dassault Falcon business jets belonging to the RAAF landed at Scone Airport within 20 minutes of each other Thursday morning.
An image online appears to show two private jets at Scone Airport on the day Anthony Albanese and Chris Bowen visited to announce the Solar SunShot Program. Picture: 2GB
The first plane left Canberra at 8:42am and landed less than an hour later at 9:23am.
The second left 20 minutes later at 9:02am and landed at 9:40am.
When asked why the Prime Minister and Energy Minister needed two private jets to go to the same event, Mr Bowen said the decision was made following advice from the military.
“The Air Force advised that the most efficient way to get the Prime Minister and two cabinet ministers to the Liddell Power Station was to go to Scone Airport, where the runway was not rated for the Prime Minister’s normal large jet,” Mr Bowen said Monday.
“The Prime Minister has a large jet available to him, that would normally be what we take. The runway at Scone wasn’t strong enough to take a large jet so the air force … took a decision for two jets.”
Mr Bowen claimed the large number of staff in his office and Mr Albanese’s office meant they could not fit on one jet, due to the lack of seats.
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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, MP Chris Bowen and MP Penny Sharpe visited the Hunter Valley to announce a $1 billion program that aims to boost the number of solar panels made in Australia. Liddell Power Station near Muswellbrook will be developed as a solar manufacturing hub. Photo: PMO / Supplied
Former flight captain and aviation consultant Byron Bailey said that with each plane costing between $10,000 and $15,000 an hour to run, with waiting times the total bill “could have been as much as $100,000”.
“I’m absolutely disgusted with what’s going on here,” he said.
Nationals Senator Bridget McKenzie said that despite the explanation “taxpayers are right to ask questions about the need for two VIP jets to get the entourage of ministers and their staff to a solar renewables announcement in Newcastle when there were direct commercial flights available.”
“It is perplexing … particularly when there were flights costing $208 per person (to Newcastle) available.”
After landing on Thursday, Mr Albanese and Mr Bowen held a press conference with industry minister Ed Husic and local Hunter MP Dean Repacholi to spruik solar panel manufacturing and the transition to net zero.
In his remarks, Mr Bowen said that “the world’s climate emergency is Australia’s jobs opportunity,” while Mr Albanese told journalists that “net zero isn’t negotiable, it’s necessary.”
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