Just two weeks ago, the prime minister was engulfed in a crisis of optics when he bought a $4.3m property in middle of a housing crisis. Now he is under pressure once more for allegedly seeking free Qantas flight upgrades directly from then CEO Alan Joyce while serving as transport minister and opposition leader – allegations he has denied. Reged Ahmad speaks to political editor Karen Middleton about the politics of perks and why the PM is facing a possible perception problem