What a breath taking cluster-fluck this whole Qantas fiasco.
I blame not Qantas or Alan Joyce. Joyce and the Qantas board are acting in the best interest of the company - AS THEY ARE REQUIRED BY LAW to do. The problem we have is that our governments are stupid. Professionally and epistemically stupid.
The classic Canberra scandal is not the policy but speaking the truth about the policy. Take the words of Stephen Jones, the Assistant Treasurer about the matter:
We can drive prices down but if we drive them down to a level where it’s actually unsustainable to run an airline, instead of having two carriers, we will design our markets in a way which will make it unsustainable for the existing Australian-based carrier.
Who is this “we” Kemosabe?
These are not the words of someone who should be anywhere near a Treasury portfolio. These are not the words of someone who should be anywhere near executive government.
When he says “we can drive prices” he frame of references is that of a central planning commissar who believes it is the work of government to design and manage markets. Like his boss Dr Chalmers believes but is smart enough to not say out loud.
In the absence of broader macroeconomic forces, it is only when the government puts its thumb into a market can prices fall “to a level where it’s actually unsustainable to run an airline”. You know like through price caps on coal, gas and rent.
Yes. Qantas is a master lobbying operation. But it is only so because the economic returns from lobbying as so attractive. And this is the curse of the idiots who travel frequently, on Qantas, via the Qantas Chairman’s lounge. Labor, Liberal, National, Green, and the rest.
If in doubt that this is bi-partisan idiocy, google REX and National Party.
In the end, it is the travellers and the taxpayers who are screwed. This Qantas protection racket is nothing more than a tax on Australians. An anti business, anti productivity policy that is the provenance of all Australian governments.
Just imagine in 10 years time. You are planning work business conference and you want to get a key note speaker. Usually aim for former high level polititain, CEO, captain of industry, tech Guru. There will be NO-ONE you can get. All of them will be former useless, lying, cheating, incompetent dolts. They will have no success story to tell, no motivational ideas they developed and cant even remember any major decision they made.. Plus it will have to take place on a full moon because there will be no electricity.
Would Qantas have made a profit this year if they had to give back that $2 billion they received not to sack or layoff staff, they did layoff staff … I call that fraud. I do blame Joyce