December 3, 2023
The Deputy Prime Minister, Warren Truss, has announced that the Australian co-ordinated search for Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 in the southern Indian Ocean has failed to find the plane.
Speaking in the House of Representatives, Truss said the next phase of the search would begin in August and focus on an area that could be as big as 800 kilometres in length by 70 kilometres wide. The search would take approximately 12 months.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott and search co-ordinator Angus Houston say there is still no sign of the missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370.
At a press conference in Canberra, Abbott and Houston said the search would now enter a new underwater phase using sonar technology. They said a thorough search of the sea bed could take up to 8 months and possibly longer, depending on weather conditions.
The federal government has announced that a second Sydney airport will be built at Badgerys Creek.
Planning for the new airport is to start immediately, with construction beginning in 2016. The government says most of the cost will be met by a private sector operator.
The Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, and the Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development, Warren Truss, made the announcement at a press conference in Canberra this afternoon.
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.
The federal government has refused to provide a debt guarantee or a line of credit for Qantas but says it will relax ownership restrictions by repealing Part 3 of the Qantas Sale Act.
Amongst other provisions, Part 3 restricts foreign ownership of the airline to 49%. It restricts foreign airlines from owning more than 35% of Qantas. It stipulates that maintenance jobs are based in Australia. The full text of Part 3 is available here in a popup window.