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| Issue No 114 |  |
05 October 2001 |
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NewsAnsett Families Jeer Howard The SaboteurBy Noel Hester
Treasury Gardens in Melbourne were packed this afternoon as Ansett workers, families and supporters gathered together to celebrate the survival of the airline in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds and the continued cynicism of the Howard Government. In a monster barbecue organised by the ACTU and Victorian unions Ansett families were entertained by a large number of supportive entertainers and heard speeches of support from ALP Deputy Leader Simon Crean, Victorian Premier Steve Bracks, and from Melbourne's Deputy Mayor. Three weeks after being grounded Ansett continues to fly despite the incompetence of the previous management, the ruthless corporate behaviour of Qantas and the unconcionable desire of the Federal Government to see Ansett liquidated. There is only one thing that has given Ansett a fighting chance - the combination of staff resilience, union action and the efforts of the administrator. ACTU Secretary Greg Combet told the crowd in Melbourne today that these efforts have resulted in Ansett Mark 2 growing in strength each day. 'There are now 24 daily flights between Sydney and Melbourne. Next week flight routes will be extended to Brisbane and Perth. Ansett's subsidiaries continue to provide vital service to regional Australia. Seat bookings with Ansett have been increasing by 9 per cent per day,' he said. But Greg Combet did point out a sobering reality. 'Unless there's a positive intervention by the Federal Government it will be difficult for Ansett to survive.' What has been the major stumbling block in Ansett's revival is the cynical lack of care from the Howard Government characterised by Deputy Prime Minister John Anderson's description of Ansett as a carcass and Jackie Kelly's breathtaking observation that Ansett's demise was a mere blip for Australia's tourist industry. The Howard Government's hands-off approach stands in stark contrast to that taken by other governments around the world. The New Zealand Government has virtually renationalised Air New Zealand to avoid the job losses and company failures which would follow a collapse of the national airline. In the USA, the conservative Bush administration is pumping in tens of billions of dollars to stabilise the American aviation industry and in Switzerland the government has come to the aid of Swissair with a rescue package to save jobs and to keep the airline flying. In Australia the Howard Government not only is refusing to give the cash injection needed to guarantee Ansett's survival but, incredibly, is saying it has first dibs on the $150 million Ansett has recovered from Air New Zealand. In today's Australian newspaper business writer Mark Westfield estimates that if Ansett fails completely the Australian economy will lose between 100,00 and 200,000 jobs from employers caught in the ripple effect of the crash. 'Hotels, tourist resorts, hire car companies, airport concessions, taxis, catering companies, the entire Australian seafood industry centred mostly in Tasmania, Ansett's 45,000 trade suppliers and arts and sporting bodies dependent on Ansett will suffer incalculable losses,' he says.
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   Interview: Thinking SmartWith education a key priority, Labor's spokesman Michael Lee will emerge as a key player in the upcoming campaign. Unions: In the SpotlightThe Public Education Convention placed the spotlight firmly on the performance and prospects of our federal politicians. Campaign Diary: Election Form GuideSo they're off and racing in the 2001 stakes. Right now it's looking more like a handicap, but we're going along for the ride. Education: Applying the BlowtorchVeronica Apap reports on how teachers are planning to elevate education in the upcoming federal campaign. History: Australia�s OrwellStephen Holt argues that the life of Jim Maloney contained echoes of the literary legend's own political journey. International: Brazil Loses Child Labour Warrior The global trade union movement against child labour has lost one of their brightest forces to a brutal assassination. E-Change: 3.4 The New GovernanceIn the last instalment in their series on technological change, Peter Lewis and Michael Gadiel look at the challenges politics has yet to meet. Satire: Qantas Denies New $7770 Domestic Fares 'Exploitative'Australia's largest domestic carrier Qantas has rejected suggestions that it's new $7770 fares between Sydney and Melbourne are taking advantage of the airline's recently inherited monopoly. Review: Dark Music for Dark SoulsThe term Industrial Music represents a wide variety and coalition of musical forms, Adam Lincoln explains.
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