Adam Bandt of the Greens is currently on Sky News blaming (correctly) AJ for everything, he is insisting that AJ gives his ridiculous pay rise back, and the Government take a direct interest in the negotiations and future running of Qantas.
He, Bob Katter and Nick Xenophon are the Aussie heroes, NOT AJ.
While I am behind most of what you guys & girls are fighting for, you need to be very careful about who you let align themselves to your cause.
The way I see it, you are in a fight for the support of middle Australia and the actions of the CEO on the weekend may have tipped the
PR war slightly in your favour.
However, when you have political extremists (ie Bandt, Brown & Katter) in your corner, the suspicion radar on the average punter who has no inside knowledge of your fight will start pinging like crazy and what
PR ground that you have made will be lost. There is no point in preaching to the converted.
You need to keep hammering your message, stay on topic and focus the public that the real reason behind the lack of negotiation on QF's side of the fence is that they want Qantas to die. They want Qantas to be sold off to the lowest bidder. Inform the public and do not let extremists hijack your cause.
If you want evidence of how this can happen, you need look no further than the "Occupy" protest in Melbourne. This was a cause, that if sold properly may have garnered the support of middle Australia, however once the normal extremist rent-a-crowd aka socialist alliance etc became involved, all potential support from middle Australia was lost.
I believe that the best way to continue your momentum would be for all of those in dispute to agree to let Capt Woodward be the spokesperson for ALL disaffected Qantas workers. I think that he presents the most moderate voice that middle Australia will have no political/philosophical opposition to.
Please be careful how you go forward. I know that you have more invested than any of us who don't work there, so please take my message as it was meant, a message of support
