Qantas International & Domestic grounded
#526
Join Date: Jan 2008
Programs: QFF WP
Posts: 379
Why would _Government_ business not take priority over conflicts between _Non-Government_ parties ? Conflicts which had, at least until Saturday, apparently been proceeding in a restrained and measured manner.
I bet if her decorator for the lodge called she would have taken the call.
Why do I get the feeling that if the Government had jumped in months ago and told QANTAS to compromise on the Unions' demands you would have been jumping up and down in rage about them messing about with private industry ?
Last edited by drsmithy; Oct 30, 2011 at 4:18 pm
#528
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Programs: Flying: VA; Buying: AA, AS, AV, BA, UA!
Posts: 2,349
Yup, I've been having that feeling all along reading a lot of these posts...if you have a political axe to grind the government can't win whichever option it chooses.
#529
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: BNE, Australia...not too far from the nearest Qantas Pub err Club
Posts: 3,636
Good work and thank you...
#530
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Sydney
Programs: Qantas Platinum, Hilton Honors Gold
Posts: 270
On the subject of getting back in the air, now up to CASA to go through the paperwork, and QF are hoping by 2pm (EDST) flights will start again.
#531
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Posts: 949
Lets hope there is no huge egos from both sides, and that this leads to a long-term fix for Qantas, and in particular Qantas international.
AJ is speaking now (looks like same suit and tie as yesterday on a side note, so definitely been working non-stop).
.....on a side note....I am unsure if this is a Win for Gillard, or another Gillard failure?!?
AJ is speaking now (looks like same suit and tie as yesterday on a side note, so definitely been working non-stop).
.....on a side note....I am unsure if this is a Win for Gillard, or another Gillard failure?!?
#532
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Chicago, Kailua-Kona, Cairns
Programs: UA 1K >2MM, IC Plat, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Gold
Posts: 740
The "executive" (which is also the parliamentary party in power), appoints and can dismiss judges, at least in Australia.
Nothing independent about that.
And given that there is no "separation of powers" in a parliamentary system, highly toxic to crime fighting.
#533
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Melbourne, Australia; NYC, LHR, GVA
Programs: UA 1K 2MM; QF 1P; DJ WP; CX DIA, EK GL, HH DIAMOND; PC Spire RA; SPG PLAT; HERTZ PC; Avis CC
Posts: 255
Some unions are receptive (understandably not entirely positive) to this type of change and some management teams are more skilled are taking their workforce with them. Sadly APIA, ALEA, TWU and the QF executive team do not fall in to this category.
#534
Join Date: May 1998
Location: australia
Posts: 5,755
Overuse of smilies turns a subtle joke into an unsubtle one
And echoing Willyroo thanks for the sterling job over the week-end
#535
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Melbourne, Australia; NYC, LHR, GVA
Programs: UA 1K 2MM; QF 1P; DJ WP; CX DIA, EK GL, HH DIAMOND; PC Spire RA; SPG PLAT; HERTZ PC; Avis CC
Posts: 255
The former chief economist of Qantas was on News 24. Made a couple of interesting points;
- The international arm of Qantas should be renationalised, to put it on par with all peers making Qantas uncompetitive (specifically naming EK, SQ, TG and MH amongst others).
- Australia's air treaties should be looked at.
- The international arm of Qantas should be renationalised, to put it on par with all peers making Qantas uncompetitive (specifically naming EK, SQ, TG and MH amongst others).
- Australia's air treaties should be looked at.
1.) Artificially (using a tax, duty etc) raise the cost for foreign airlines are equivalent to QF. This would result in higher airfares. This is actually the case in the Australian book selling industry. And you can see the results of that where the same book in Australia is in most cases 30%-40% that of Amazon.
2.) Subsidise QF with (a tax break, employment grant, direct equity etc) so that it will have more funds to cover the higher costs. In which case we have to decide where the government cuts back to fund this. Defence, Health, roads, schools?
If we continue down this like what jobs will we protect next? Allied Audio Tape Makers Union? Floppy Disk Makers of Australia? Office Memo Delivery Persons Union? White Pages?
#536
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Melbourne, Australia; NYC, LHR, GVA
Programs: UA 1K 2MM; QF 1P; DJ WP; CX DIA, EK GL, HH DIAMOND; PC Spire RA; SPG PLAT; HERTZ PC; Avis CC
Posts: 255
Often quoted subsidies are:
1.) They pay lower landing/loading fees at their national hubs. So does "QF" in Melbourne, Sydney etc. As in QF charges more to service another airline than they do to service them selves.
2.) SQ can raise more money cheaply off the Singapore state balance sheet. SQ is owned by Temasek Holdings which is the Singapore Sovereign Wealth fund. The closest equivalent in Australia is the Future Fund. A another equivalent may be approx $3Trillion Australians have invested in supper. In either case their balance sheets are a lot stronger than QF. But in either case QF is not seen as a good investment compared to BHP, banks, etc.
#537
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Programs: Flying: VA; Buying: AA, AS, AV, BA, UA!
Posts: 2,349
1.) Artificially (using a tax, duty etc) raise the cost for foreign airlines are equivalent to QF. This would result in higher airfares. This is actually the case in the Australian book selling industry. And you can see the results of that where the same book in Australia is in most cases 30%-40% that of Amazon.
#538
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Melbourne, Australia; NYC, LHR, GVA
Programs: UA 1K 2MM; QF 1P; DJ WP; CX DIA, EK GL, HH DIAMOND; PC Spire RA; SPG PLAT; HERTZ PC; Avis CC
Posts: 255
as for the nationalization argument... there was a good point made by another doctor via the age... he was going to read cancer scans and qf is the only airline capable of carrying isotopes... he now can't do that. this is a reason why if nationalization occurs, it should be for the whole business, including vital domestic services linking remote areas.
#539
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: RSE
Programs: AA Exp|VA Platinum
Posts: 15,481
That's incorrect. Judges can only be removed if both houses censure them and it can only be because of misbehaviour or incapacity.
#540
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Sydney, Australia
Programs: QF, Skywards, SQ, Centurion
Posts: 391
After reading all of your posts on here throughout this issue, I wanted to thank you for all your hard work in delivering factually sound and helpful posts to those reading this thread. Top work! I'm surprised your not part of the industry given your intimate knowledge and expertise on the matter.
Thanks heaps thewinchester
Thanks heaps thewinchester