The airline has pushed back its last Canberra-to-Melbourne flight on Thursday to 8.35pm so that MPs and corporate types can stick around to hear Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese's budget reply speech, while still making it back to Melbourne for Friday morning fundraising events. The route – which CBD has dubbed the Frydenberg Express and has run for about four years – makes particular sense for Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, who is a compulsory attendee at the budget reply but also has to make the tight turnaround of headlining the Liberal Party's Higgins 200 breakfast in Melbourne at 7am on Friday. While sources inside Qantas deny the route was scheduled specifically for the Treasurer's benefit, it's well known inside Alan Joyce's HQ that Frydenberg's team is very supportive of the service – as are some of Labor's Victorian heavyweights who have also booked seats.