Chris Bowen has been forced to defend himself and the Prime Minister after the pair faced backlash for chartering two RAAF jets for the same event in the Hunter Valley last week.
The latest Newspoll shows the Coalition surging ahead of Labor in Western Australia and drawing level in New South Wales.
Support for both parties is now beginning to slip in South Australia.
More male and young voters are turning towards the Opposition, while the government has seen increased support in Queensland.
On a national scale, Labor’s primary vote has increased by one per cent but still trails the Coalition 33 to 37 per cent.
Labor has maintained its lead on a two-party preferred basis – 52 to 48 per cent – while Anthony Albanese remains 12 per cent ahead of Peter Dutton as the better prime minister.
Radio host Ben Fordham told listeners on Monday morning the two Dassault Falcon 7X Jets were photographed at Scone airport on Thursday ahead of an announcement in the Hunter Valley for $1 billion in funding to boost solar panel manufacturing.
The announcement to launch the Solar SunShot program was made at the former coal-fired Liddell power station, a short distance from Scone airport.
However, Mr Albanese and Mr Bowen took to separate RAAF jets to attend the event.
Flight data showed Mr Albanese’s jet left Canberra airport about 9am and arrived in Scone less than 40 minutes later. After the announcement in the Hunter Valley, he then flew to Newcastle before touching back down in Canberra at 3.19pm.
Mr Bowen departed Canberra about 20 minutes before Mr Albanese, arriving in Scone at 9.23am. After the event in the Hunter Valley, he then flew to Sydney before touching back down in Canberra at 3.14pm, five minutes before the Prime Minister.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Energy Minister Chris Bowen have been questioned for taking two separate private jets to fly to the Hunter Valley last week. Picture: 2GB
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Liberal Senator Dave Sharma spoke to Sky News Australia and questioned whether the private jet was the best use of taxpayer money.
“It doesn’t look like a government disciplined with the use of public money,” Mr Sharma said.
“All of us in elected office should always be mindful that every dollar we spend is coming from someone and its coming from a taxpayer and its money that could otherwise be spent elsewhere.
“This report certainly raises questions that need to be answered.”
Senator Jacqui Lambie called on Mr Albanese to be “transparent” as was promised in the last federal election.
“If there’s a simple explanation, then I suggest they come out and explain it, mate… While they’re not explaining it, while they’re not being transparent, that’s going to be a problem,” Ms Lambie told Sky News Australia on Monday.
“For a government, also, who promised transparency when it ran in the last election… There are millions of Australians out there who don’t trust politicians and you wonder why. This is not helpful.”
Senator Jacqui Lambie called on Mr Albanese to be “transparent” as was promised in the last election. Picture: Sky News Australia
The Energy Minister spoke to journalists in Sydney on Monday after the news broke and said the government would not normally comment on the RAAF jets but made an exception as it was a “fair question”.
Mr Bowen said the pair would typically travel together, but claimed the small regional airport at Scone could not take the Prime Minister’s large RAAF plane.
“The Air Force advised that the most efficient way of getting 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.
“As you know, the prime minister always travels with the Royal Australian Air Force, all prime minister have for living memory, certainly as long as I have been involved. That’s for security reasons (which are) quite appropriate.”
Following the event at the Liddell Power Station in Muswellbrook, Mr Albanese travelled to Brokenwood Wines in Pokolbin for an event celebrating the end of brutal tariffs on Australian wine.
Sky News Political Editor Andrew Clennell says Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is “hawking” the Solar Sunshot program as a “future made in Australia”.
“The PM was out just ahead of the Easter break at the site of the Liddell power station … talking up $1 billion in the budget aimed at manufacturing solar energy in this country – the Solar Sunshot program,” he said.
“Together with the Hydrogen Headstart program and the National Reconstruction Fund, the PM is hawking this as a future made in Australia.
“That theme, as well as the cost of living, will dominate the budget.”
Mr Clennell pointed out that it was an “interesting” announcement as Liddell is one of the sites Opposition leader Peter Dutton is expected to announce as the possible site for a nuclear power plant when he releases his energy policy before the May budget.
In December the Defence Department released the expenses accrued by members of parliament in special purposes flights.
The data released on Wednesday shows Mr Albanese spent $1,845,397 of taxpayer’s money on 138.4 hours of international flights and just over 200 hours on domestic flights between January 1 to June 30 – almost double the amount of the runner up.
Defence Minister Richard Marles spent $213,780 in special flights as Defence Minister and $842,061 as Deputy Prime Minister during the period, totalling $1,055,841.
The special purpose flights are operated by the Royal Australian Air Force No. 34 squadron who command a fleet of two Boeing business jets and three Dassault Falcon 7X aircraft.
