Anthony Albanese’s female cavoodle Toto has been flying high on the taxpayer-funded VIP plane, but the defence department won’t reveal where she’s being picked up or dropped off citing national security concerns.
Globe-trotting Anthony Albanese has rung up a $5 million bill for VIP flights since he was elected last year spending an average of $88,000 a week on flights.
Confirmation that the Prime Minister’s dog has also been on the taxpayer-funded VIP plane follows his team’s refusal to respond to questions about whether the dog was travelling on the aircraft for three months.
It also follows a lengthy negotiation with the Department of Defence to hand over all records it has regarding Toto, after news.com.au first lodged a freedom of information request in September.
The new documents reveal that Toto was listed on the flight request at 5pm on September 8, 2022. Notes on the manifest state “PM’s dog – Toto – will be travelling”.
Mr Albanese suspended parliament following the death of Queen Elizabeth the next morning. The Royal Family confirmed the 96-year-old monarch’s death around 8.30pm local time (3.30am AEST) on September 9.
In another exchange of emails this year, Mr Albanese’s office requested to book the VIP plane and the document notes “plus Toto.”
That flight request was made on May 24, 2023, when the Prime Minister was hosting the Quad Leaders’ Summit in Sydney.
In a formal response to news.com,au’s freedom of information request, the Defence Department notes it can withhold documents affecting the security of the Commonwealth.
As such, it is refusing to say where Toto was picked up and where she was dropped off.
“I have formed the view that the relevant material contained in the documents is exempt under section 33(a)(i) of the FOI Act because its release would, or could reasonably be expected to, disclose patterns of travel, including destinations, departure times and the number of Australian Federal Police (AFP) members assigned to flights,” the Defence Department said.
“Further, the release of this information could reasonably be expected to allow anticipation of future patterns of movement, thereby placing at risk the personal safety of members of Parliament.
“It is reasonable to expect that these individuals may be targets for adverse actions and, therefore, disclosing their patterns of travel would increase any potential threat to these individuals.
“This would adversely impact and cause damage to the security of the Commonwealth.”
Mr Albanese has previously shot down suggestion he calls his VIP airbus, Toto One after his female cavoodle
There was a deathly silence when news.com.au first inquired in September, if the persistent rumours were true: was the Prime Minister’s cavoodle flying high between Sydney and Canberra?
But then last month, the defence officials came clean at Senate estimates.
Yes, pets are flying on the taxpayer-funded VIP plane operated by the Defence Department. No, they don’t keep a record of when Toto is flying and so can’t reveal how often she is flying.
In a column titled “Anthony Albanese’s adventures become one giant headache for Labor”, Labor strategist Cameron Milner then observed inThe Australiannewspaper that the Prime Minister was fond of parroting “cost of living, cost of living” while being the small-target opposition leader.
“But since the election the PM has been largely distracted on legacy issues such as the Voice to parliament and travelling the globe as a latter-day Neil Armstrong,’’ he wrote.
“One more trip for Albo has become one giant headache for Labor.
“If not for the parliamentary sitting dates, Albo would no doubt find somewhere, anywhere else but Australia to fly in his plush Airbus he reportedly calls Toto One, named after his Covid-era pet dog.”
That left the Prime Minister’s office underwhelmed and prompted Mr Albanese’s minders to insist he doesn’t call the plane Toto.
Nationals Senator Bridget McKenzie grilled Air Force Chief Robert Chipman on the Toto issue in October.
“Could you provide a list of all flights since the 21st of May 2022 on which animals – and specifically an animal called Toto – have been permitted on-board special purpose aircraft?” she asked.
The air force chief was cagey. He confirmed that mystery pets had been known to travel on the special purpose aircraft primarily used by the Prime Minister for official duties.
“I am aware that there is a history of VIPs travelling with pets on VIP aircraft,” he said.
“But we do not keep comprehensive records of when animals travel on VIP aircraft.”
“Are animals recorded on the flight manifest?’’ Senator McKenzie probed.
While it was not standard practice, the Defence Department conceded an animal on a special purpose aircraft was sometimes ‘annotated’ to the formal manifest.
“I have no records of how often [it happens],” he said.