A ROMANCE with union leader Paul Howes is believed to have been a factor in Qantas's decision yesterday to strip high-profile executive Olivia Wirth of her responsibility for government relations
By yesterday, you mean 15 May, 2013?
That's a bit mischievous. This is very old news and nothing to do with current events. The company(and Howes) must have realised how this would look to the public, to government, and to shareholders.
The company is espousing one, generally anti-union, certainly anti-workforce, point of view, while their senior spindoctor... ah... spokesperson - is in bed with a unionist (one presumes, I don't have photos).
Flick the switch to post-election vaudeville, and you've got a company spindoctor... sorry... lobbyist - asking for favours from a conservative while still in bed with said unionist. Hard to see any prospect of a win from that formula.