It’s not just Qantas customers and shareholders who will be left counting the cost of the airline’s descent into scandal. The disenchantment with the company across Canberra and the community is yet another hit to the corporate sector’s political and social capital, threatening to derail the business lobby’s calls for economic reform at exactly the wrong time.
Qantas’ privileged position and its dominance of Australian aviation mean it has become a particular flashpoint for community anger.The consumer watchdog’s case against Qantas, alleging the airline sold tickets on 8000 flights it had already cancelled, followed swiftly by the High Court’s ruling that the airline broke the law when it laid off staff in the pandemic, are the latest in a long string of scandals.
Joyce’s farewell tour seemed unstoppable: Qantas chairman Richard Goyder was defending his CEO’s strategy to return the airline to record profitability, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was happy to appear next to Joyce at an event to support the Yes vote in the Voice referendum.How things have changed. The government is scrambling to distance itself from Qantas and defend its own credibility over the Qatar decision.
The Coalition, by comparison, often seems at odds with big business, as Opposition Leader Peter Dutton criticises the corporate sector for being “woke”, particularly over its support for the Yes campaign.