One of the reasons Ansett went was because, contrary to what you may think, the Government does pick winners and losers and it does have preferred visions of various industries structures and futures.
For example, Qantas is a Sydney Icon. Nothing will EVER be allowed to happen to it while the NSW Labor AND Liberal branches have the power in Canberra.
Thats why the Federal Government played with a dead bat during Compass I and II and sat back and watched while Virgin fouht with the Sydney Airport Corporation.
Ansett was doomed from about 1986 onwards by the prevailing wisdom that the Country could only afford one international flag carrier and that Qantas was it. Thats why the Fed's just sit back and say "its just nature taking its course" sometimes and yet leap to a company's defence at other times (think Manildra and gasohol).
Same mindset completed the demise of the old Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (although it was just about ossified already).
Same mindset still exists and will shortly do in Tenix's Williamstown dockyards - they will never build another ship, no matter what. The votes are needed in Adelaide.