Federal Government blocks Senate inquiry into Qantas sale
Senator Bob Brown, the leader of the Greens has failed in his bid to establish a Senate inquiry into the proposed sale of Qantas, with the Government saying it was a waste of time.
With the Labor Party, Unions and several Government backbenchers believing the sale will result in the consortium slashing jobs if the $11.1 billion takeover is successful, Senator Brown told Parliament on Wednesday that the sale of Qantas could have a huge effect on aviation and tourism in Australia, along with the direct impact on the airline’s 38,000 employees.
He said, “Every Australian, all but a very, very small handful these days, has flown with Qantas and for many people in regional Australia, Qantas provides an important link to the rest of the country.”
“Our parliament has a responsibility to thoroughly investigate the terms of the takeover and to be satisfied that it is in the national interest.”
Senator Brown said he was concerned regional air services could be cut back if the sale proceeds and although the Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) would examine the sale, its deliberations would not be public, hence the need for a Senate inquiry.
The Labor Party, the Australian Democrats and Family First senator Steve Fielding supported the call, with Labor’s Kerry O’Brien saying, “It has the potential to do a great deal of good,” but the Government used its Senate majority to stop the probe.
Human Services Minister Ian Campbell said the FIRB and Transport Department should be allowed to do their job of examining the sale without the distraction of a Senate inquiry, adding, “All Australians can rest assured that very proper processes will be gone through to ensure that this sale is in total compliance with the law”.
He also said, “A Senate inquiry, I think proposed for quite populist reasons by Senator Brown, is entirely unnecessary and, quite frankly, a waste of time”, with Senator Brown saying it was an affront to the Parliament for the Government to shut out the public from the examination of the Qantas sale, adding, “Most Australians do not want the airline sold”.
Nationals Senator Barnaby Joyce indicated he would also support a Senate inquiry into the Qantas sale but only at the end of the month if the FIRB then appeared set to approve the sale, voting against the motion for a Senate inquiry, adding, “I feel it will split the resources and the focus of the Foreign Investment Review Board inquiry which is the only inquiry that can stop the current sale process of Qantas.”
Report by The Mole
John Alwyn-Jones
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