Scott Morrison denies Joe Hockey instructed staff to meet with Helloworld offshoot

Scott Morrison has denied reports the US ambassador Joe Hockey instructed staff to meet with Helloworld subsidiary QBT before it lobbied for government work.

The prime minister also told Parliament that Hockey, a former Liberal treasurer and one of the 20 largest shareholders in the company, had declared his interest ahead of an embassy meeting, though it was not about the travel service tender process.

“I can advise the Australian embassy staff meeting ... on 26 April 2017, I’m advised, was not in relation to the tender process,” Morrison said.

“QBT was then, and continues to be, a travel agency for [the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade] through a whole-of-government supply arrangement. Mr Joe Hockey declared his interest in Helloworld to embassy staff ahead of the meeting.

“I’m advised embassy staff did not meet QBT or other staff in relation to the tender and embassy staff have met and corresponded with a whole range of travel providers to discuss the embassy’s travel requirements.”

The issue, which dominated question time, began when the Sydney Morning Herald and Age reported on Tuesday that Mathias Cormann had not paid for family travel to Singapore booked on 17 July 2017, worth $2,780, until he was alerted to the issue by the newspaper.

In Senate estimates committees this week, Cormann revealed he booked private travel three times by ringing up Helloworld chief executive, Andrew Burnes, a Liberal donor and party treasurer who has made a number of personal donations to Liberal MPs. The company had donated more than $500,000 to the Liberal party.

On Wednesday, reports emerged that Hockey had asked embassy staff to meet with the travel company. Fairfax reported that a meeting in Washington on 26 April 2017 was arranged after Burnes contacted Hockey, though Helloworld has denied Burnes requested the meeting.

Helloworld issued a statement to the Australian Stock Exchange which stated: “at no time has Ambassador Hockey or Helloworld CEO Andrew Burnes discussed the DFAT tender and neither Mr Hockey nor Mr Burnes have had any involvement in the tender process.

“Mr Burnes did not request the meeting with DFAT personnel in the United States. At all times Helloworld and Mr Burnes have acted properly in the tender process.”

Helloworld confirmed that QBT was awarded a contract in 2015 to provide travel management services to Commonwealth government agencies, including DFAT.

“In 2017, QBT requested a meeting with DFAT personnel in the United States to discuss the provision of travel management services in the US and this meeting took place,” the statement read.

“QBT understands DFAT personnel met a number of travel services providers as part of its considerations in relation to the provision of travel services in the United States.

“In August 2018, DFAT started a formal tender process, which QBT has responded to. No announcement has been made in relation to this tender.”

Labor tried to suspend standing orders to debate the matter and called on the government to release relevant documents relating to the US embassy meetings.

Labor finance shadow Jim Chalmers said the prime minister’s explanation that Hockey did not request a meeting between embassy staff and QBT was a very serious issue.

“The prime minister is denying something of which there are reports of documents which exist from officials in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade – that is a very serious matter,” Chalmers said.