"It is impossible at this remove to fully understand what persuaded the AFAP executive to accept what they thought
was the very best advice from a top silk."
Legal advise is advise, rarely direction. The industrial leadership of the AFAP was well aware of the potentially catastrophic consequences of following that advice. The Pilot leadership overruled them.
Its all ancient history now but its still a salutary lesson for a younger generation in the consequences of arrogance , hubris and plain old lack of judgement by mediocre people in leadership positions. Add to that an inability to empathize with your opponents position and you have a recipe for disaster.
Hawke and Kelty did what they had to do to defend the Wages Accord, and what any competent opponent would have expected them to do.
AFAP leadership were out of their depth. Blaming Hawke or Abeles for their failure is futile.
Younger generations take note.