Roger Partridge: Access granted, ethics denied

Some Australian scandals never get the New Zealand coverage they deserve — which is a shame, as they can tell us much about our neighbours. Qantas’s Chairman’s Lounge debacle is a case in point.

This exclusive club, located in discreet corners of Australian airports, is now at the centre of a political storm. Qantas, has long enjoyed a certain regulatory harmony with the government and offers a remarkable array of privileges to certain favoured guests. Its unmarked doors ensure that ordinary passengers never witness the inner sanctum where the nation’s future is shaped.