The bit at the end sums it all up.
JOYCE SET FOR FAREWELL TO POLLIESAlan Joyce’s final tour of the country as Qantas chief executive wouldn’t be complete without a trip to the town where the carrier makes most of its money and, sure enough, Joyce’s victory lap of Canberra is nearly upon us.
Qantas is throwing a shindig in Parliament House’s private member’s dining room next Wednesday for its most important stakeholders – only MPs and senators allowed – to allow Joyce to gladhand the good and the great one last time, and to help incoming chief executive Vanessa Hudson get a feel for how it’s done.
Catering will be provided by the Ponytail Express himself, Neil Perry – who is, for those who have allowed themselves to forget, not only a chef, restaurateur, author and TV celebrity, but also Qantas’s director of “food, beverage and service”.
“We would be delighted if you could attend to meet our executive and incoming CEO, and talk about Australian aviation and the many sectors it touches,” the invitation says.
No doubt there will be plenty to talk about, given Transport Minister Catherine King is still under a fair bit of pressure to explain her decision to knock back Qatar Airways’ application to operate more flights into Australia – with Qantas being one of the few opponents of the idea.
Speaking at a tourism event in Brisbane on Thursday, Joyce denied Qantas has a lock on the direction of government policy, saying the airline has a “mature relationship” with government, but gets no political favours.
Margin Call will be interested to hear feedback on the length of the line of MPs wanting to petition Joyce – or Hudson, as his heir apparent – to allow their children to join Nathan Albanese in enjoying the Qantas chairman’s lounge largesse.
There was, sadly, no response to Margin Call’s query to Anthony Albanese’s office to see whether the Prime Minister would be attending the shindig hosted by “great mate” Joyce, nor from King’s office.
Qantas is also at some risk of a slightly more hostile reception at the dinner than it traditionally receives in the ministerial corridors, judging from an email response to the invitation from one grump MP that is currently doing the rounds of Canberra.
“Can’t afford to pay their workers properly, can’t afford to invest in capex to refresh Qantas’s tired and ageing fleet, can’t get flights to run on time, can’t get passengers’ baggage to land at the same place and time as they do, can afford to piss bucket loads of cash schmoozing politicians,” the missive says