While thousands of Aussies remain stranded overseas, Foreign Affairs staffers are accused of using taxpayer funds to double book flights.
Source:AAPUp to 23,000 Australians are stranded overseas with some having been bumped from flights up to 13 times, often at very short notice.
“It doesn’t really accord with your values. You go overseas and you work in the national interest … but they’re just advancing their own interests.” A spokesperson for DFAT said staff are required to seek three quotes for flights and decisions are made based on the lowest fare available that meets the needs of the traveller.
Those that do fly into Sydney and require transport to ACT use private drivers “for private quarantine as a COVID-19 safe measure, to minimise contact with the broader community to prevent the spread of COVID-19.”Australians stuck overseas have been forced to shell out for business class seats to maximise their chance of making it home.
“We want to get more Australians home and we need to do that safely as well, and not compromise the quarantine arrangements we have here as well.” Despite having upgraded his November Qatar seat to business in the hopes of securing a place, he still has a “gut feeling I’m not going to be on that flight” he told news.com.au.
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