No, it's not 'spite' and 'vindictiveness'. It's the fact that the company is once again playing fast and loose with the career expectations of a particular group of employees. The value of a base is a tangible thing, and to deliberately undermine the criteria of ONE base ONLY, in favour of a group of individuals against the reasonable expectations of those who by birth have the right and desire to be there is outrageous. As I said previously. I would like to be based in Sydney....so i'm sure it will be perfectly ok for the company to obtain a visa for me, and then I will block that slot from a HK based Aussie and his family for the next decade or so....? Seems fair doesn't it. Forget spite and vindictiveness.....how about just moral outrage? Good enough for you. I can assure you that this issue is going to be finding it's way to EVERY interested party until this CRAP is stopped dead in it's tracks. If you can't see the inherent unfairness in what's happening then you must be a Canadian based in the US.