Do as I say, not as I do! How Albo has splurged 25,000L of fuel for the Rabbitohs, AFL and Queen Mary - while Chris Bowen urges drivers 'not to use more fuel than you need'
'Do as I say not as I do' appears to be the Prime Minister's unofficial motto as the fuel crisis deepens, in the wake of the conflict in the Middle East.
Just as Albo and his energy minister Chris Bowen told Australians to avoid any unnecessary travel to save fuel and help the nation survive looming shortages, the PM has been flying across the country in his taxpayer funded private jet, guzzling thousands of litres of aviation fuel to attend NRL and AFL games, as well as jetting into South Australia to bask in the glory of his state Labor colleague Peter Malinauskas's election victory on Saturday evening.
It all started a week and a half ago when Albo jumped in his private chauffeured Commonwealth car to head to the Canberra airport after a gruelling parliamentary sitting week that included pleas for the public to travel less.
The PM flew to Sydney, after which he and his entourage were escorted to Allianz stadium to watch his beloved South Sydney Rabbitohs lose to the Sydney Roosters. But the high octane journey was still worth it, because Albo got to jump the fence and invade the ground as part of the celebrations, when Souths winger Alex Johnston broke the NRL's try scoring record.
Scoffing at official threats of a $5,500 fine for the pitch invasion, our PM strode down from his private box to burst onto the ground, declaring in a media interview that even if he gets fined 'it was worth it'.
And why not, when a $5,500 fine is a drop in the financial ocean for someone earning more than $600,000. One Labor MP used similar logic when asked about the PM's jet-setting: 'His fuel consumption is nothing in the grand scheme of things'.
Let's just hope every Australian doesn't take a similar approach when contemplating government requests to use less fuel.
Luckily no fine was issued and Albo was back in the air, returning to Canberra after the game for a weekend of festivities with the visiting Danish royal family, which included our very own Queen Mary.
The PM flew to Sydney to watch Rabbitohs winger Alex Johnston break the NRL's try-scoring record
Albanese met Queen Mary and King Frederik X at Parliament House, Canberra - and also took the opportunity to travel to Tasmania, her home state, during their visit
Should Anthony Albanese lead by example when asking Australians to cut back on fuel, or do the rules not apply to the PM?
Comment nowGiven that Mary hails from Tasmania, Albo decided to play the generous host and join the Queen on her homecoming, taking the opportunity to travel to Burnie as well as Hobart while in the Apple Isle.
It hasn't been all smooth flying for Albo, however. The PM's jet setting search for social cohesion saw him fly back to Sydney, where last Friday he attended a Lakemba mosque, only to be met with boos before his security team beat a hasty retreat.
After that Albo boarded his private plane once again, this time hitting the tarmac in Adelaide, to watch the Crows fall just short against the Western Bulldogs under the lights at Adelaide Stadium.
But he also joined the state election campaign trail while in town, lending a hand to the far more popular Labor premier, helping out at polling booths as well as making a mandatory trip to the Whyalla steelworks Labor warned would close down more than a decade ago.
Whyalla is a four hour car trip from Adelaide, but doesn't take nearly as long as that when you have a private plane at your disposal.
Last weekend didn't end with a flight back to Albo's home base in Canberra ahead of the return of parliament this week. The PM also took the opportunity to fly down to Melbourne first, for a series of media engagements.
Luckily for the fuel bean counters, Albo's travelling show has had to be put on hold for parliament this week, but no doubt he's got more necessary travel planned once it's out of the way.
All up in a week and a half between parliamentary sittings, while the government pleads with its citizens to minimise unnecessary travel to save on fuel, the PM flew from Canberra to Sydney back to Canberra then on to Hobart, back to Sydney before flying to Adelaide and Wayalla then on to Melbourne before ending up back in Canberra.
The PM at the Adelaide Crows Chairman's Function at Adelaide Oval on March 20
'Do as I say not as I do' appears to be the Prime Minister's unofficial motto as the fuel crisis deepens (stock image)
That equates to more than 5,000km of travel in 10 days, using roughly 25,000 litres of fuel.
Last Thursday Bowen reiterated his plea to keep fuel usage to a minimum: 'my message to Australians is to not use more fuel than you need'.
And earlier this week the International Energy Agency called for people to work from home, and even drive slower to save on fuel.
Team Albo echoed the sentiment, as it also emerged that oil shipments to Australia were being cancelled.
Do as I say, not as I do.
