The OP and thread is gold, I am not in mainline but will do all I can to get the message out, it's the least I or anyone with common sense could do. I agree with parabellum,
The term 'Asset Stripping' comes to mind, where a bunch of people with no great affinity for, or history with, a company sell it off for what they can get, stuff their pockets full and piss off.
This whole issue does my head in, for the record, just look at the background of some of the board,
(my bold.)
Mr Clifford is a Director of Bechtel Group Inc. He is Chairman of Bechtel Australia Pty Ltd and the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, a Senior Advisor to Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co and a Board Member of the National Gallery of Victoria Foundation. Mr Clifford was previously a Director of Barclays Bank plc. Mr Clifford was Chief Executive of Rio Tinto from 2000 to 2007. He retired from the Board of Rio Tinto in 2007 after serving as a Director of Rio Tinto plc and Rio Tinto Limited for 13 and 12 years respectively. His executive and board career with Rio Tinto spanned some 37 years, in Australia and overseas.
Mrs Cross is a Director of National Australia Bank Limited, JBWere Pty Limited, the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, the Grattan Institute and the Methodist Ladies College. She is a Member of the Government's Australian Financial Centre Forum and Melbourne University's Advisory Council to the Faculty of Business and Economics.
Mrs Cross was previously a director of Wesfarmers Limited, Chairman of Qantas Superannuation Limited and Deputy Chairman of Victoria's Transport Accident Commission. She has served on a variety of publicly listed, government, university and private company boards.
Prior to becoming a professional company director in 1996, Mrs Cross held senior executive positions with Chase Manhattan Bank, Banque Nationale de Paris and National Australia Bank.
Garry Hounsell was appointed to the Qantas Board in January 2005.
He is Chairman of the Audit Committee and a Member of the Nominations Committee.
Mr Hounsell is Chairman of PanAust Limited and a Director of Orica Limited, DuluxGroup Limited and Nufarm Limited. He is Chairman of Investec Global Aircraft Fund, a Director of Ingeus Limited and a Board Member of law firm Freehills.
Mr Hounsell is the former Deputy Chairman of Mitchell Communication Group Limited. He is a former Senior Partner of Ernst & Young and Chief Executive Officer and Country Managing Partner of Arthur Andersen.
John Schubert was appointed to the Qantas Board in October 2000.
He is Chairman of the Safety, Health, Environment and Security Committee and a Member of the Nominations Committee.
Dr Schubert is a Director of BHP Billiton Limited and BHP Billiton plc. He is also Chairman of G2 Therapies Limited and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation.
He was most recently Chairman of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia
Barbara Ward was appointed to the Qantas Board in June 2008.
She is a Member of the Safety, Health, Environment and Security Committee and the Audit Committee.
Ms Ward is Chairman of Country Energy, a Director of a number of Brookfield Multiplex Group companies and O'Connell Street Associates Pty Ltd, and is on the Advisory Board of LEK Consulting.
She was formerly a Director of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Lion Nathan Limited, Brookfield Multiplex Limited, Allco Finance Group Limited, Record Investments Limited, Data Advantage Limited, Rail Infrastructure Corporation and Delta Electricity. She was Chairman of NorthPower and a Board Member of Allens Arthur Robinson.
Ms Ward was Chief Executive Officer of Ansett Worldwide Aviation Services from 1993 to 1998. Before that, Ms Ward held various positions at TNT Limited, including General Manager Finance, and also served as a Senior Ministerial Adviser to The Hon PJ Keating.
These people have a very dodgy background in aviation, for me, just damn bankies. They also appear to spend so much of their time on other boards, eg Mrs Cross you wonder if she has any time for Q. It appears their egos are as big as their bonus schemes. A bankie boys and girls club.
Thanks for the inspiration snuffelupagus. May the force be with you, in fact all of the Q pilots.
tima9x