A parliamentary inquiry will probe the federal government's decision to block a number of additional Qatar Airways flights into Australia, after an opposition motion to establish the inquiry squeaked through the Senate by a single vote on Tuesday afternoon.
The inquiry will examine the government's actions relating to "any proposals received in the past 12 months for additional services to Australia's major airports", potentially setting its scope well beyond the Qatar Airways decision.
The inquiry's committee will comprise three opposition members, two government members and two crossbenchers, one of whom will serve as deputy chair.
It will hand down its report in October.
The motion to establish the inquiry passed with 32 votes for to 31 against, after an earlier vote that produced a deadlocked result was miscounted.
Shadow Transport Minister Bridget McKenzie has accused the government of stifling competition with its decision to ban 21 additional Qatar Airlines flights into Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane each week.
Calling for the inquiry's establishment on Monday, Senator McKenzie said many people were "incredibly disappointed" by the decision and she suggested it was made to protect Qantas.
There was evidence to suggest the government was running "a protection racket for the most-complained-about company in this country", she said.
The government says the decision was made in the national interest.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Tuesday came under fire during Question Time over his relationship with Alan Joyce, who earlier in the day announced he was standing down as Qantas CEO two months ahead of schedule.
Mr Albanese gave a one-word answer — "No" — when asked by Liberal MP Bert van Manen if he had had any conversations with Mr Joyce or other senior Qantas executives before making the Qatar Airways decision.
He earlier told the parliament he had "met" Mr Joyce, in response to a question from Nationals MP Pat Conaghan.
"I can confirm that I have met Alan Joyce, which is basically what the question was," he said.
"I met — that was what the question was, it wasn't about anything at all. I can confirm I met Alan Joyce."
Mr Joyce told a Senate committee hearing last week he sent a letter to the government about the Qatar proposal in October last year.
Mr Albanese also gave a one-word answer — "Yes" — when asked by Opposition Leader Peter Dutton if he had spoken to senior executives from Virgin Australia, a Qatar Airways partner, before the decision.
The opposition had earlier been applying pressure on Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles over his use of taxpayer-funded Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) flights.
Documents recently released under freedom of information have revealed Mr Marles has accumulated more than $3 million worth of "special purpose flights" since becoming deputy prime minister in 2022.
Mr Marles is an avid golfer, which prompted the Coalition to ask if he takes his clubs with him on work trips.
The deputy prime minister on Monday declined to say if he had ever packed his golf clubs on board a RAAF flight, but he said he stood by every flight he had taken on special purpose aircraft.
"Every place I have been, everything I've done, has been in pursuit of my duties as the deputy prime minister and the minister for defence on behalf of this country," he said.
Liberal frontbencher Simon Birmingham said the government was not upholding the standards it promised at the last election.
"It's a real crisis in transparency engulfing the Albanese government at present," he said.
"Now they won't tell us how they're using special purpose aircraft.
"Mr Albanese won't tell us how he engages in the decision-making of government or who is influencing him over that decision-making."
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