2. On December 20th 1991 Compass mk1 stopped flying. The aircraft where ceased and the airline grounded. Much as been said of this as well and what does it have to do with 89? Well, the night the aircraft where ceased, it was done by TNT security guards by the authority of the Hawke Labour Government for unpaid Navigation charges. December 20th 1991 was also the date that Paul Keating rolled Hawke and took over the Lodge. This was Hawkes last act as PM to carry out the fat mans wishes.
Yes and although that may have been Hawke's last act for Abeles, it was NOT sadly Abeles last underhanded act.
Prior to the start up of what is called Compass 2 (Southern Cross), I was at McDonnell Douglas starting an MD 80 Course, as were many "dispute Pilots". On the second day of our course the Instructor was called out of the class, when he returned he asked us who on Earth was this *&^%$#@ Abeles? We told him, and he told us he had just been advised by McDonnell Douglas Management that Abeles had threatened them HE would never allow Ansett ot TNT to purchase another Aircraft from them IF they allowed us to have these new MD 80s. He said they had reluctantly AGREED. However they arranged for us to lease older MD 80s from SAS to get around Abeles, which was okay, except we ended up with very old MD 80s instead of brand new ones.