Independent senator Jacqui Lambie has been banned from Qantas for six months after “blowing her stack” at staff.
The Tasmanian senator confirmed the ban to the Nine Network on Thursday – and said she deserved it.
“I deserve everything that I got from Qantas,” Senator Lambie told the Today show.
“That ban will stay. I deserve every bit of that ban, and once again I’m profusely apologetic to those staff members that were involved.
“I’ve tried to apologise to those staff members. I’ve even written a letter myself, apologising for that.”
Tweet from @TheTodayShow
It follows an altercation between the senator and Qantas staff at the exclusive invitation-only Chairman’s Lounge in Melbourne in late March, when she was denied entry.
Senator Lambie reacted with a self-confessed “rant”, dropping expletives, referring to “pussy power” and using a homophobic slur towards Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce.
Mr Joyce is openly gay.
The whole thing was captured on CCTV.
“It’s just been a really, really long year,” Senator Lambie told Today.
“Basically I just blew my stack and unfortunately there was a couple of Qantas staff members that wore that.
“They should never have worn that and it was really unfair of me to do that to them.”
Senator Lambie said the incident came after a bad day in Canberra.
“I’d backed into a car that morning, got a speeding ticket on the way to work, and my flight home was delayed,” she told the Nine newspapers.
She was also taking pain medication for an old back injury.
“It was a bad day for me. But it was worse for the poor Qantas staff who had to stand and take my rant. It was totally uncalled for and totally unacceptable behaviour on my part.
“I’ll take whatever punishment Qantas throws at me. I’ve done the crime and I’ll do the time, because that’s what I deserve.”
For her offence, Senator Lambie faces a six-month ban from all Qantas services, including its lounges. To get to and from Canberra for parliamentary work, she will have to rely on Virgin Australia, which does not have a Chairman’s Lounge.
