Why is this information being leaked to the press?
Two reasons.
Mud sticks & those who throw it first will have the advantage to the end.
And it is in the Australian psyche to to be anti the tall poppy.
So lets throw some mud around regarding supposed over the top claims, bending them, twisting them & spinning them to make the opposition look as bad to the general public as possible & see where it goes. They are already on the back foot with public opinion. It will be harder to stage industrial action with the public off side & the pressure on the politicians will be great to step in & rescue the traveling public & the airlines from being held to ransom. It worked a few years ago, so why not now the management ask themselves.
Well, why not throw some mud back insead of just taking it all the time? You can't take the high moral ground while you are being crucified & the mob mentality are just lapping up the show. Everyone in management is a tall poppy just waiting to be cut down. How about spinning some of their excesses & presenting that to the public? You just might get some of the attention focused back where it belongs. Maybe not for the right reasons initially, but once the spotlight is there, you can then put the boot in regarding the things that really matter.