The Federal Opposition will oppose the Abbott government’s plan to repeal Section 3 of the Qantas Sale Act.
Speaking at a press conference in Canberra tonight, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten, Infrastructure and Transport spokesman Anthony Albanese and Shadow Treasurer Chris Bowen said the “Australian icon” and jobs would be lost offshore.
Albanese said the airline would not be Australian if its head office wasn’t in Australia or if maintenance jobs were based overseas. He said the decision was another example of a government that was good at getting into office but didn’t know what to do when it got there.
Bowen said the issue was more than just about Qantas. “This is about Australian businesses having trust in the government,” he said.
Shorten said the fiction of the last six months is that the government will fight for Australian jobs. He said the government was creating a new export industry of exporting jobs.
The Greens have also announced that they will oppose the legislation and will move to set up a Senate inquiry into the issue. Opposition from the ALP and Greens means the legislation won’t pass the current Senate. The new Senate, including the Western Australian senators who will be elected on April 5, takes office on July 1.
- Listen to Shorten, Albanese and Bowen (16m)
