A source recently told me that there is a type of manager that has been identified as a "blocker". Joyce has had a few consultants going through the management structure for a while now and they have created a list of all the "blockers" that are preventing effective two-way communication between senior management and workers. Those who suspect that they are on the list should start looking for a new job because the axe will fall soon.
All up, I'm starting to get a bit of confidence about the direction that Joyce wants to take the airline (& I freely admit that I was originally disapointed about his getting the CEO gig). He is spending time (& money) on mainline, reinventing the premium product, whereas his predecessor was totally focused on Jetstar.
I agree with TG about the reserve military capability that Qantas provides for the Australian Government. I understand that the Qantas B707's had a few extra features that made them more suitable for troop transportation than the standard aircraft and the current widebody fleets would be very effective in support of any large scale military deployment. A good example of this is the way that the British used civilian aircraft and ships to support the deployment to the South Atlantic during the Falklands War. The QF LH Certified Agreement even has a section on flying in Warlike circumstances. V Oz B777's would be able to provide a similar capability but I don't know if there is any provision to make the capability available to the government.