Spot on Ninja.
I remember
QANTAS'S secret agenda when Ansett was in strife. Remember Jackson and Anderson's little trip to Wellingtun to tell the Kiwis that SQ was not to be permitted to inject capital into AN via a greater equity stake in Air New Zealand? I sure do!
Aside from seizing the moment to eliminate QF main competitor (remember, AN was planning to operate trans pac.), it was a great opportunity to engaging some micro-economic reform, as Kap'nM says. Problem now is:
1) QF is approaching a total monopoly in Oz.
2) Fares are still at similar levels for compareable tickets as when Ansett was flying (ie SYD-MEL with QF or DJ is
higher than when AN operated, accounting for inflation).
3) Of the 830 pilots at AN, 520 are still employed as pilots and ~380 of these are now living overseas.
The reality of this is that the Liberals aviation policy is a failure:It has failed the test of true competion, it has failed the staff at all companies in Australia and it has failed the Lib's own political philosophy of non-interferance with business. what are they? A bunch of socialist Keynesians???
