The Royal Australian Air Force operates the Special Purpose Aircraft fleet out of Defence Establishment Fairbairn, Canberra. Currently the leased fleet comprises two Boeing 737 BBJ (Boeing Business Jet) and three Challenger CL-604 aircraft.
On average these planes fly a combined total of between 1,200-1,800 special purpose flights each year. This costs an estimated $50,000 for every hour spent in the air.
A limited range of persons are entitled to request use of these planes. Federal Government ministers and their staff as well as leading Opposition MPs and their staff have featured heavily on passenger lists in the past.
News.com.au reported on 1 January 2014 that Prime Minister Tony Abbott is intending to buy or lease at least one VIP jet capable of carrying up to two hundred passengers.
The news article suggested that he was considering either the Boeing 777 or Airbus A-330 in VIP configuration at an estimated cost of $250 million per plane.
It also stated that; the government will seek agreement from media companies to limit criticism of any decision to opt for bigger planes.
Presumably Abbott is asking the media to keep quiet because he intends to embed members of the Canberra Press Gallery in his future VIP jaunts.
Well, I’m not part of this strange relationship between Tony Abbott and the Canberra Press Gallery being a very ordinary citizen living in regional New South Wales.
So I am less than impressed with this further hit on the Coalition budget bottom line. Especially when hospitals are having federal funding withdrawn – with at least $150 million reportedly cut from health services ($28 million of this apparently from projects budgeted for this financial year) and Aboriginal legal aid funding being reduced by $43 million – and Abbott is now testing the waters with regard to introducing a co-payment for GP visits.
As far as I’m concerned Abbott & Co (and their media choir) can board commercial flights, catch a train, hop on a bus, car pool or get out and walk like the rest of us.
An example of a Boeing 777 in VIP configuration:
An example of an Airbus A-330 in VIP configuration:
3 comments:
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Looks like "Slick" Abbott has given the 2 finger salute to Aussies.
Or is he saying .... let them eat cake ?
Happy new year Clarencegirl. I was Aussieviewsnews, now reincarnated as Peter Garcia-Webb. Your are well worth reading as always.
Abbott the Mad Monk has a bigger head than his idol Adolf Hitler, Seig Heil, Seig Heil.
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