QF94, Qantas actively lobbies both sides of Parliament, State and Federal more than any other company and has very, very effective tools for doing so - namely upgrades and more importantly The Chairmans Lounge.
Make no mistake, the Chairmans Lounge in particular is an extremely potent inducement for anyone with narcissistic tendencies - which most politicians have in spades. No politician is going to do anything unwelcome to Qantas that might compromise their continued membership of that exclusive group.
I speak from experience. I have had Two Directors foisted on to the Board of the company of which I was CEO thanks to a few "chance" meetings in the Chairmans Lounge. - that place is more exclusive than the Melbourne Club and it is used by the less than scrupulous for a great deal of networking.
The perks of being a politician