"open Skies" equates to arbitrage. The Australian public get what they asked for, the standards attained by the lowest workforce, and the associated brown paper bag experience.
Irrespective of what the travelling public may be told, the standards of the visiting airlines to Australia is highly variable, some are competent, some are a disgrace, and the compliance checking that occurs is a white wash supporting the open skies policy, and as well, the "affordable safety" introduced by an australian "character".
Dick Smith is correct in his observation that QF needs to compete, that is not rocket science (fortunately). What is the issue here is that management has undertaken an organised and concerted program to offshore the whole airline, while pointedly refusing to implement the rational cost savings that were readily obtainable, and that have invariably been taken up by their competition.
The bottom line remains that Jetstar Pacific is the poster boy of why the leprechaun needs to make sure that he isn't smoking whatever he is presently smoking while entering Singapore...
Win or lose, short or long, the members of QFA have been shown in no uncertain term what your company thinks of you. If you remain in the employ of abusers, then you are your master of your own fate.