SENATOR THE HON BRIDGET MCKENZIE
SHADOW MINISTER FOR INFRASTRUCTURE, TRANSPORT AND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT
LEADER OF THE NATIONALS IN THE SENATE
SENATOR FOR VICTORIA
SENATOR DEAN SMITH
SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR COMPETITION, CHARITIES AND TREASURY
SENATOR FOR WESTERN AUSTRALIA
27 February 2024
MEDIA RELEASE
PROTECTING AIRLINE PASSENGERS – BECAUSE LABOR WON’T
Australians deserve an aviation industry where planes take off and land on time, their bags arrive with them, and they are not left shouldering the costs associated with these service failures.
That is why Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development, Senator Bridget McKenzie, and Shadow Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury, Senator Dean Smith, have today tabled in the Senate the Airline Passenger Protections (Pay on Delay) Bill.
This Private Senator’s Bill requires the Minister for Transport to establish and airline Code of Conduct within 12 months, bringing Australia into line with best practice in the European Union, the United Kingdom and Canada.
The Pay on Delay Bill also builds on the Coalition’s push for greater transparency in the domestic aviation market, after it compelled Labor to reinstate ACCC monitoring last year following months of its characteristic inertia.
Coalition Competition Spokesperson, Liberal Senator Dean Smith, said consumer protections were especially needed while a lack of competition dogged the aviation industry.
“With nearly 95% of the market share, Qantas and Virgin have a tighter grip on Australian aviation than Coles and Woolworths have on our supermarkets,” Senator Smith said.
“For too long, this lack of competition has favoured airlines over customers and this Bill begins the process of correcting that imbalance – and giving consumers some confidence when they travel.”
“Once again, the Coalition has been forced to act in this space because Labor has not.”
Shadow Minister for Transport, Senator Bridget McKenzie, said the Bill was wholly necessary given the Albanese Government had failed to ensure travelling Australians were not taken advantage of by our airlines.
“A recommendation of last year’s Aviation Senate Inquiry was to review airline consumer protections, and this Bill will ensure passengers are being treated fairly by the airline industry in the future,” Senator McKenzie said.
“If the Minister won’t act in the face of the egregious behaviour from Australian airlines on the behalf of travelling Australians, the Coalition will.”
ENDS.