This direction has been set since Alan Joyce filled Qantas upper management echelons with his mates. I remember Lyell Strambi at an employee roadshow saying he couldn't understand why there were 3 different heavy maintenance bases, just weeks after he started.
I can only guess, but would imagine the path for whats going on now has been set since AJ beat Borghetti for the top job and got his mates in to close the airline down bit by bit.