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Anthony Albanese has sharply criticized Joe Aston, a former Australian Financial Review journalist, who claimed in a book that the prime minister had direct contact with former Qantas boss Alan Joyce about the flight upgrade.

In sharp remarks about Tuesday’s controversy, Albanese said he had “not seen the declaration” that Aston was a “former Liberal Party employee to a number of senior members of the Liberal Party, including Joe Hockey and Bruce Baird.”

“I don’t see any declaration that he is a former Qantas employee,” he said.

“I don’t see a declaration that in June, a few months ago, he was a guest… at a Liberal Party meeting in the Wentworth constituency.”

Albanese also claimed that he is “not the most common person” to receive a job increase, claiming that Liberal Republican Party leader Paul Fletcher “has been promoted at least 69 times compared to the declared 69.”

“He has been in parliament for less time than I have,” he said.

Aston wrote in his book The President’s Lounge that Albanese personally asked for and secured 22 free upgrades from Joyce while he was transport minister.

The Prime Minister would not say whether he had called Joyce about the flight upgrade, insisting he had followed the principles of the declaration to the letter.