Backwater or not, it happens to be our own 'backwater'. What happens here matters for Australian pilots. For those who choose working overseas as their career path, good luck while you are away. Surrendering our own airlines to provide that overseas work should not be the plan. Keeping our 'backwater' functional for those who live here and for our own travellers is of paramount importance. The Australian Government can help by levelling the playing field for local operators. Some overseas airlines operate in artificial tax free environments where the normal business rules don't apply (despite their protestations to the contrary). Large populations elswhere will always make our slice of the industry look small. However capitulating to predatory overseas practices or cheaper operating costs will be the ruin of Australia. Standing by and watching even smaller nations buy their aviation industry at our expense with oil or other revenues is hardly a clever Government activity. It is the Goverment which has the power to provide both relief and support to internationally exposed industries, rather than expecting fixed costs to be lowered adnauseum. The levels of taxation, Government charges and overseas access to Australian routes is all the province of Government. Management don't have the ability to change international pressures. If our Government believes that all services should go to the lowest cost global player, then we are doomed to share their lower condition and surrender all our local industry to offshore producers. No work means no income. If Australia is to avoid becoming a quarry occupied by masses of unemployed citizens, the government has to actively support our industries with revenue from our natural resources and advantages. We have masses of energy which we sell for peanuts and an educated trained workforce. If dictatorial nations can use their resources to buy industry, why can't democratic Australia at least retain those ones it has? You won't see our politicians or management types lowering their costs under pressure from cheaper overseas competition. Globalisation is for the powerless only. We don't need to run on that treadmil, whether we are a small player or not. Meanwhile in Europe, aviation industries including airlines are wondering why their governments support building enormously big airliners, subsidised by European taxpayers, which are used mainly by foreign 'supported' carriers to monopolise the worlds long haul routes to the detriment of European companies. Governments are not often 'naturally clever'. They need guidance!
Last edited by flyingfox; 23rd Jun 2011 at 17:26.