I agree wholeheartedly with Sunfish.
My Utopian view would be that despite GD's hardline rhetoric, (which I view as bravado overlaying what are perhaps necessary efficiency measures) the government of the day would not allow the national carrier to suffer at the least, go under at worst. Keating, despite his significant faults, had it right with the Qantas Sale Act, but it is a sentiment that needs to be parlayed into something bigger that will give the shareholders, mostly Australians that probably invest in the airline due to some kind of national pride, a sense of security. I'm sure they wouldn't wish to profit on the back of the loss of a national icon. GD speaks with the indifference of a burgeoning Gecko.
As an investment strategy, I couldn't see someone of the calibre of a Packer backing an airline - margin's far too low. Unions always cause trouble and as has been seen, the problems world market forces can create are not insignificant.
If the FA's are the first to be affected by these efficiency measures, what can the tech crew expect?
L G Cooper