“There is no company in Australia that immediately says ‘Australia’ like this brand of Qantas.” That was Anthony Albanese in mid-August, when Qantas announced its corporate support for the voice referendum, including the launch of a new Yes23 livery. His gratitude for this support was understandable, even the reference to “brand” hinted that the symbolism might not be matched by substance.
Fast-forward a couple of weeks, the focus has turned to dollars and cents, and Albanese’s tone has changed. He called on Qantas to abandon expiration dates on flight credits issued during the Covid lockdowns. Qantas still owes a startling $370m and it was revealed yesterday that its Jetstar subsidiary owes a further $100m.
