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Senate calls for Qantas investment

written by australianaviation.com.au | December 13, 2013

Qantas tails.The Senate has passed a motion by Australian Greens spokesperson for Transport Senator Lee Rhiannon, noting the benefits of a majority Australian-owned Qantas and calling on the government to seriously consider investing in the airline.

“After Holden’s announcement yesterday, it has become even more important for the government to step in and protect Australian jobs,” Senator Rhiannon said.

“Qantas management are escalating the issue by putting the jobs of thousands of their workers on the line.

“We don’t support Alan Joyce’s preferred option of deregulating Qantas to allow higher levels of foreign ownership – The Australian Greens have a strong commitment to a majority Australian-owned national airline.

“Rather than seeing foreign government owned carriers such as China South and Emirates buy up Qantas, we are calling on the Australian government to invest in Qantas to protect local jobs, shore up the local industry and ensure Australia has a competitive and sustainable national airline.

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“The Senate today has supported our motion recognising the importance of an Australian owned Qantas and is calling on its government to seriously consider investing in the airline,” Senator Rhiannon said.

The text of the motion passed by the Senate can be found below:

Senator Rhiannon
1. The Senate notes:
a) The significant benefit that a majority Australian owned Qantas brings to national security, manufacturing and tourism jobs and the wider economy.
2. The Senate calls on the Government to:
a) Seriously consider investing in QANTAS as a signal of its importance to the national economy.

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Comments (10)

  • Yes let's Qantas

    says:

    What is a nation without an identity? We are faster losing all the icons that make us proud.

    No nation can go without a national carrier…

    People cannot expect Qantas to act as a listed company, and then also perform in the interest of the nation.

    Alan Joyce and his board must go… They have shown over 5 years they a clueless. They must be replaced with ambitious leaders, willing to grow the “Qantas” brand – there is a strategic use for Jetstar within Austrslia, but it shouldn’t be used to the detriment of its parent.

    C’mon Australia let’s save Qantas

  • stuart

    says:

    If Qantas were a national sport like cricket or rugby, there would be an outcry about the current situation and yet that is exactly the problem. Air New Zealand have just announced a 20% increase in profit and proving to be one of the most innovative airlines in the world. Qantas on the other hand is being destroyed from within by Clifford (who almost sent RIO TINTO broke) and Joyce, both of whom have been outplayed at every turn by Virgin’s Borghetti who, the Qantas Board in their bumbling incompetence overlooked in their rush to give the Qantas CEO’s job to Joyce in order to further line their pockets.

    I have read no comments regarding Joyce’s offer to take a pay cut due to his poor management of Qantas despite the fact that at the last AGM Joyce was given a $1 million pay rise – hang on – was that pay rise granted so that Alan could now venture out, offer to take a pay cut and in reality remain on the same over inflated wage??

    And what about the executives not receiving any bonuses this year…..wait a minute those bonuses are performance based and based upon the said performance of Qantas, none of the executives should have received the bonuses anyway.

    Now the board, at the same AGM where Joyce was given a $1 million pay rise, the board also took it upon themselves to increase their pay – what is going on.

    Now, how can we fix the problem? Every Australian should write to Tony Abbot and explain that Clifford, Joyce and the Qantas Board are destroying a once mighty, highly regarded Australian Airline that used to be at the forefront of Aviation innovation and safety. It has gone so far, that the ONLY way Qantas will survive is with government intervention and this can only happen with the sacking of the Chairman – Clifford, the CEO – Joyce and the entire Qantas Board…….please…….before there is no Qantas left………

  • Michelle robinson

    says:

    Save Qantas save Australian jobs save a great Australian identity , keep it AUSTRALIAN

  • aregeecee

    says:

    QANTAS spells out everything that is Australian – it’s a shame Alan Joyce, and before him Geoff Dixon, and their various pals and buddies at the board level failed abysmally to regcognise this.

    As a proud ex-QF staff, I watched a once proud icon being gradually diluted and disintegrating before our very eyes to become the world’s fast shrinking airline.

    Instead of coming up with innovative strategies and aggressive marketing plans to emerging markets, Dixon, then Joyce, chose to be fixated by costs management alone while they fail to capitalise on their most improtant asset – a proud workforce which, if inspired and driven, could take this airline upwards and compete with the Emirates. Etihad and Singapore Airlines of this world.

    By pushing John Borghetti aside, Dixon showed that he failed to recognise the force passion can represent and by choosing Joyce, he showed short-sightedness and favouritism. Under Borghetti, Qnatas would have been a different airline, as he is showing with VA.

    Sure, QF’s cost base had to be addressed, but it should have been better balanced with expansion and judicious fleet investment – it is well-documented the A3800 WAS NOT the best aircraft choice for QF. They (Dixon and his team) failed to heed advice from their own aviation specialists and proceeded with the A380 – maybe to satisfy their own self-inflated egos.

    For me, the A380 marks the beginning of the end for Qantas and it is time the Government seriously starts looking into the management of QF over the last 10yrs or so and once it does and finds things out, it should make it its won and restore it to its former glory – before Joyce and his band of merrymen (with their inflated and unjustified massive pay checks) drive this great airline to the ground, along with 1000s of great men and women toiling hard everyday to maintain its reputation and high standards – up in the air and down on the ground.

    Come on Mr Abbott, do the right thing – send the little irishman packing back to the cold irish winter and make Qantas truly THE Australian airline!!!

  • John

    says:

    I have held a Qantas Club Membership since 1996 and Platinum/Gold Tier through most of these years. Sadly I will not be renewing my membership due to poor onboard service on board the aircraft and on the ground. Recently I was travelling from Brisbane to Singapore on an Emirates flight departing 0230. At Qantas Club reception we were promply advised everyone would be kicked out at 0020 as ” working a twelve hour day was enough”. Why would you bother!!!

  • Rodney Marinkovic

    says:

    As long as Australian tax payers happy to pay bills for those in government seeking public money for airlines
    include QANTAS. What happening with free eterprice, free market, free…? Lucky company with not so lucky
    tax payers.
    Rodney Marinkovic, AME (ret.)

  • Dane

    says:

    The Greens would run this country into the ground given half the chance. Qantas should be left to rest on its own laurels and suffer the consequences of years of mismanagement and poor leadership shown by Alan Joyce and his predecessor. You can’t keep bailing out companies that struggle with taxpayer assistance. It’s not viable and Australia will be end up in more debt.

  • @ John

    says:

    John

    I don’t know what glasses you’ve been looking through, because all my experiences with Qantas staff have been top rate. I think its a matter of treat as you like to be treated, I also think it petty of you to brand the entire Qantas staff as lazy or ungrateful that they be working 12 hour days or more – obviously you don’t care if these people have families or a life outside of their work environment, it seems to me you mustn’t be to pleased with your own life that you resort to cheap shots. A significant insight to your personality is where you state your FF status, you obviously think very highly of your own self worth to publish that – pull your head in mate.

    From my experience the Qantas staff are remarkable group of people, and when you talk to them, they each individually genuinely believe in Qantas the brand.

    I hope the Australian government does look to repatriate this company, even if it is solely for strategic worth.

  • john

    says:

    I believe the Government should not directly invest in Qantas, but should change the Qantas Sale Act to allow any single Airline to own up to 40%, and the Government should change the Aircraft Deprecation laws in this country, to put Qantas on an equal footing with the likes of Emirates and Singapore Airlines in this regard.
    To allow overseas control of Qantas would then mean all the major players in Australian Aviation would be overseas owned and controlled, not a good situation!

  • John

    says:

    Anonymous!! After spending hundreds of thousands of Dollars with Qantas I am entitled to an opinion. I am an ordinary traveller loyal to the airline for many years. My experience has been different to yours, poor inflight service in all classes of travel and at times curt ground staff. If you have not been fortunate enough to experience Emirates, Singapore Airlines and other highly rated airlines you should vary your travel experience. As a loyal Qantas customer I suggest some major changes need to happen. I wonder why Qantass struggle to fill A380’s on the few remaining London services which operate. Anyway, we all have our own ideas and opinions about Qantas and others. Let’s hope travellers support the company so the future is bright.

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