Direct anywhere, unlike you, I'm over Sixty, and I've lived long enough, and seen enough of human nature to be unsurprised by the depths of greed, depravity and corruption that humans will stoop to.
We have a problem which is gradually being recognised today, across the western world, of leaders who promise one thing, but do the exact reverse once elected or appointed to high office. The cause is our conscious decision to appoint people who are "qualified" and who have "experience" and to avoid discrimination on racial, religious or gender grounds.
Unfortunately me old China, that means that the old measurement dimension of "Character" has been ejected from our lexicon and the result is that across the western world we have elected, promoted or appointed some pretty smelly turds as far as character goes.
By way of example, Craig Thompson, if the allegations are true, Dominique Strauss Kahn at the IMF, perhaps, unless I am mistaken, the recent retiree from Airservices Australia, the late Richard Pratt (who ran an illegal packaging cartel) and sundry other politicians, officials and "Leaders" on all sides of the political spectrum who proceed to work for their own good and satifaction to the detriment of the general community.
Then of course there are the "merchant banks" who are full of ****s, including a smelly selection I had to deal with while unwinding some Sixty million dollars worth of tax minimisation schemes. Then of course there are the multitude of commercial deals and attempted deals I am aware of but you have never heard of, nor the day to day attempts at financial market rigging going on in New York and Europe as we speak.
This article, plus the comments section, might give you some idea what you are facing:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/25/op...rssnyt&emc=rss
All in all I have a pretty low opinion of the current crop of leaders and it takes me more than a Sunday morning listening to "The God Who Sings" on the radio to brighten me up.
So No, nothing that happens to Qantas or in Canberra would surprise me. I occasionally get the mail on who is sleeping with who and who isn't. Craig Thompson isn't on his own, but at least if the allegations are true, he is availing himself of the female sex. For all you and I know, Qantas management may being playing footsies with any number of people of either sex in some very strange beds.
Nothing would surprise me.
To put that another way, Directanywhere, I learned a long time ago that truth is stranger, way way stranger, than fiction*.
Happy flying and don't trouble your head too much.
* And I learned that by confiding to a gorgeous young nubile female professional collegue in a highly respected management consulting firm, that I thought our boss was a no good, lying, cheating offensive old drunk. Little did I know she was sleeping with him at the time.