I don't know that they want to intentionally inflict personal damage. I just think they want Qantas mainline out of their life, and don't particularly care how it happens.
Precisely.
1) They are incompetent and cannot run a premium airline themselves so logically it is impossible for ANYONE to do it. **
which leads to:
2) The genuinely believe that Qantas has to die and these nasty unions are ruining all hope of success.
Unfortunately there is no one in management with any operational experience in airlines (only management experience) and as all are 'yes-men' there are no dissenting opinions - especially since JB left. Therefore they KNOW they are correct. They just do not understand airlines in any way so they have no clue about the damage they have done. Being fair to them, having never worked (operationally) in one, how could they possibly understand what idiots they are managing one? An arts or management degree at 24yo in this line of work is a hardly going to be of any assistance, yet these are the incompetent yes men and women that management listen to.
The one fly in the ointment for them must be that the one person with any clout who realised what a bunch of utter morons these guys are and had the gumption to disagree with them, actually left and then busily set about creating an 'impossible to make money' premium carrier from a half baked LCC Virgin. Obviously a fluke, he is still wrong and Qantas management is correct. There will be a powerpoint presentation to support the view somewhere..
** Another way to look at it is this (if you are wise in the ways of management and didn't understand previous):
If Qantas weighs the same as a duck, it is a witch and therefore we must burn it.
Very simple really.