So this is how Qantas still calls Australia home (“Qantas cuts 850 local jobs, outsourcing roles to India”, November 11).
asserted
Qantas → call → India
During the pandemic the total amount paid to that company by our government, from Australian taxpayer funds as JobSeeker, freight assistance, route subsidies and repatriation flight payments is reported to be over a billion dollars.
asserted
amount → pay → JobSeeker
At the same time they stood down thousands of workers and cut jobs.
asserted
they → stand → jobs
Now they have confirmed that another 850 jobs will go as they transfer back-office operations to India.
asserted
they → confirm → India
Politicians prize their Chairman’s Lounge memberships too much to raise anything more than an eyebrow while they raise an Aviation Spritz to their lips.
asserted
they → prize → lips
Graeme Smith, Daceyville
Another company off-shoring jobs that Australian workers can do, after making a huge profit.
asserted
workers → shore → profit
Our government should stop its employees from flying on Qantas.
asserted
government → stop → Qantas
Apart from all the current AI/data centres, I am dismayed at the current “management” at Qantas, who seem to have just abandoned a hundred or so years of Australian aviation history, training and technical expertise.
asserted
who → dismay → history
I can tell the QF management that I will be “outsourcing” my travel requirements from now on.
asserted
I → tell → requirements
I feel abandoned by an Australian icon, which has fought in our wars and built fabulous aviation networks over the longest routes in the world (and some of the shortest).
asserted
which → abandon → shortest
A few (many) years ago, I had a flying school at Bankstown Airport, and most of our instructors went on to become Qantas captains.
asserted
most → have → instructors
Aussies have built this world-class airline, with what used to be excellent technical and operational expertise, but it is being trashed by “management” who only see “shareholder” value as the criterion of what they are doing.
asserted
they → build → what
Perhaps it is time for Australians to stop flying Qantas?
asserted
Australians → stop → Qantas
Shane Nunan, Finley
Why should Australians use firms that move so many staff functions overseas to pursue profit?
asserted
that → use → profit
Loyalty goes both ways from consumers and back (supposedly) from Australian companies.
asserted
Loyalty → go → companies
When the current Qantas CEO took over, she said her main job was to regain the trust of the Australian public – however, what she really meant was that the faithful Qantas worker remains low on the list of priorities.
asserted
worker → take → priorities
Qantas has become and will remain just another “cheap” and nasty carrier with very little Australian content.
asserted
Qantas → become → content
The Albanese-Charlton juggernaut is desperately keen to build AI centres here in Australia, yet corporate Australia, led by the likes of Qantas, Telstra and Coles, is already shipping white-collar jobs offshore.
asserted
Australia → build → jobs
With tech investments accelerating, we appear headed towards major domestic unemployment.
asserted
we → accelerate → unemployment
If automation is powerful enough to handle these roles, why are Australian jobs already being exported overseas?
asserted
jobs → handle → roles
Everyone knows the drill: “Thank you for patiently waiting, I’ll just transfer you to my colleague.”
asserted
I → know → colleague
These overseas call centres are inefficient, as the real cost is borne entirely by consumers wasting hours on hold.
asserted
cost → bear → hold
Instead of chasing cheap offshore labour arbitrage to manage legacy systems, companies could easily maintain these jobs here and let AI do the heavy lifting locally.
uncertain
AI → chase → lifting
What is the point of government ambitions for domestic tech hubs if the tech is already here, yet our workforce is locked out before we even begin?
asserted
we → lock → hubs
Harold Scruby, Neutral Bay
It is incredible that Qantas was happy to seek support from the Australian government and taxpayers during the pandemic yet now it can only “modernise” by taking jobs overseas instead of employing the people who kept the company solvent.
asserted
who → seek → company
Australians should expect more.
asserted
Australians → expect → more
If the self-proclaimed “spirit of Australia” can outsource another chunk of its business overseas, then it can hardly blame potential Australian customers — hitherto loyal to the brand — for considering similar moves.
asserted
it → proclaim → moves
While Rob Harris rightly highlights Australia’s fuel vulnerability (“Final two refineries never played a more crucial role”, November 11), spending billions to support or build conventional oil refineries overlooks a massive opportunity.
asserted
spending → highlight → opportunity
A new refinery that relies on imported crude doesn’t fix our reliance on risky international shipping routes.
asserted
that → rely → routes
Australia already produces around 200,000 barrels a day of condensate, a light and clean by-product of our LNG industry.
asserted
Australia → produce → industry
Right now, we export almost all of it to Asia, only to buy it back later as expensive petrol and diesel.
asserted
we → export → petrol
Instead of relying on overseas crude and importing 80 per cent of our refined fuels, we could build a condensate splitter in Karratha.
uncertain
we → rely → Karratha
This simple facility would directly separate our own condensate into usable fuels like diesel and jet fuel.
asserted
facility → separate → diesel
It would cost a tiny fraction of any new conventional refinery and could easily use existing North West Shelf infrastructure.
uncertain
It → cost → infrastructure
If we want real fuel security, we need to start refining the resources we already produce right here at home.
asserted
we → want → home
John Kempler, Rose Bay
Diesel dilemma
Ross Gittins (“Bumpy road is the only way back for Albanese”, November 11) asks where measures to control the cost of living might be found and doesn’t foresee anything quick or easy.
uncertain
measures → ask → anything
Here’s a suggestion.
asserted
suggestion → ’ → ?
Added to the existing 21.3 cents per litre for heavy road transport, it’s a subsidy of 75 cents per litre and sending diesel prices back towards where they used to be before Trump’s war elevated them.
asserted
war → add → them
And the big grocery companies can be relied upon to squeeze the transporters sufficiently that at least a reasonable portion of the saving is passed on rather than gouged.
asserted
portion → rely → saving
And then listen to Australia’s richest woman howl.
asserted
woman → listen → ?
…and 55 more, not listed.
The Aporia
