‍DR ANNE WEBSTER MP

SHADOW MINISTER FOR REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT, LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND TERRITORIES
SHADOW MINISTER FOR REGIONAL COMMUNICATIONS

FEDERAL MEMBER FOR MALLEE

TOPICS:

Qantas' proposal to relocate pilots and cabin crew away from Mildura

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WIN Television:

PRESENTER:

Pilots and cabin crew could be forced to move interstate as Qantas considers closing its Canberra base. The controversial proposal is sparking fears about the future of regional flights after the recent collapse of airlines. The nation's airline proposing to move out of the capital. Finance Minister Katy Gallagher already in talks with executives as Qantas begins a two-week consultation with staff and the union.

GALLAGHER:

It shouldn't be a fly-in, fly-out and all the other jobs are done elsewhere. This is the important hub and there should be Qantas jobs and QantasLink jobs that are operated out of Canberra.

MADDIE GREEN, WIN TELEVISION: 

The ACT Senator worried it will lead to more disruptions to the most unreliable flight route in the country, with one in ten flights between Canberra and Sydney cancelled in July.

GALLAGHER:

We've had our concerns around Qantas and some of the service delays and the standards that we have here in the ACT and we've raised that directly with Qantas.

GREEN:

The Qantas review of its base footprint would also see pilots and flight attendants removed from Hobart and Mildura. The Nationals fear the impact it will have on bush communities.

WEBSTER: 

Our pilots and our flight attendants, they don't want to move and we don't want them to move. It is just hollowing out our regions.

GREEN:

The Chief Minister dismissing an increase to payroll tax in the ACT budget was a potential factor after Qantas made $1.6 billion last financial year, doubting the airline would be impacted by the tens of thousands thousands of dollars of extra salary costs for the 30 Canberra-based staff.

ANDREW BARR, ACT CHIEF MINISTER:

We believe there is a strong case, as Canberra Airport is the ninth busiest airport in Australia, that Qantas should have home-based crew here in Canberra.

GREEN:

The Greens leader also standing by his party's policy to increase payroll tax on big corporations by 2%.

SHANE RATTENBURY, ACT GREENS:

This is about Qantas doing what it continues to do, which is to seek to maximise its profits and ignore its obligation to our communities across the country.

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Triple M Sunraysia:

QantasLink is facing backlash over its proposal to shut down three of of crew bases, including Mildura's. While the airline is yet to make a formal decision regarding those plans, Vigil member for Mallee, Anne Webster, says it's not fair that the Sunraysia-based cabin crew and pilots are being asked to move down to Melbourne.

They've been here for a long, time. They're very content being in Mildura. They've raised their kids here and here they are being told, now we are expecting you to make a choice where you want to go.

Federal MP Anne Webster has taken aim at QantasLink over a proposal to relocate its Sunraysia-based crew and pilots to Melbourne. The airline also plans to close its Hobart and Canberra crew hubs. The member for Mallee says it's a kick in the guts to the regions and can't see what the benefit will be.

I can't see how it would give any advantage to Qantas other than that centralising thinking process that governments and business like to make. But it's not in the interests of the communities that are served and it's certainly not in the interest of employees

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River 1467: 

Good morning, with your local news, I'm Ayva Jones. Mallee MP Anne Webster has labelled a recommendation for Qantas to close their base in Mildura disrespectful. A report has found consolidating bases in Canberra, Hobart and Mildura might reduce inefficiencies. Dr Webster says the airline has spoken to her now and she has made her disappointment clear:

They came to see me in Canberra a week and a half ago and I made it very plain I was not happy about any reduction in services and certainly did not believe - because I hadn't spoken to any pilots at that stage or flight attendants locally - I have now - I made it clear it is not a welcome move, let me make it very plain.

Qantas might look to close its regional base in Mildura. A report has recommended the airline consolidate bases in Canberra, Hobart and Mildura in an effort to reduce inefficiencies, but Member for Mallee, Anne Webster, says the airline appears to have forgotten their regional roots.

Our aviation service is an absolute connection for everybody who lives in this region and to reduce that in any capacity, any way at all, is not only disrespectful to the people who live in this region, but the people who have supported QantasLink for many decades. It's just not good enough.

ABC Mildura Swan Hill: 

Interview with Ben Murphy

MURPHY:

As we've been speaking about throughout the morning, Qantas has this week announced a review into its Canberra, Hobart and Mildura bases as part of a larger review into the airline's base structure. And no decision has been made, but the review will look into what impacts closing the three bases and relocating employees would have on the organisation and its customers. The decision would impact about eight QantasLink team members who will have the option to work in other locations. We just heard before from the Transport Workers' Union but the news has also drawn strong criticism from Dr Anne Webster, our federal member for the Mallee. Good morning, Anne.

WEBSTER: 

Good morning. How are you?

MURPHY: 

Good, thank you. Dr Webster, thanks for taking the time. First off, what was your reaction to the news?

WEBSTER: 

Qantas came to see me in Canberra a week and a half ago to tell me about, you know, this possible review to close down or centralise the workers, particularly the flight crews, so the pilots and the flight attendants, to Melbourne, Sydney and .... We've seen this before. In 2008, Qantas decided that the engineering department in Mildura would also close and saw people moved off elsewhere or retire. And, you know, knowing the pilots, most of the pilots in Mildura, most of the flight attendants in Mildura I'm familiar with, given my job, and I know that they're families, they want to stay where they are. This was not not part of their plan. And to uproot your family, because this isn't just the worker of course it involves families it also means in my opinion I think that Qantas are going to end up in trouble because when a pilot or a flight attendant flies in from Sydney Brisbane or Melbourne to Mildura they could well be sick and then what happens to the flight? So they have to wait for somebody to fly in from those cities to then go again on that flight, for that flight to take off. That's really concerning as well. So having regionally based workforce is incredibly important to us. It also means that we have a place on the map.

Qantas needs to remember that they started in Cloncurry in Queensland right back in the early days and that being in the regions is their footprint. That's what it's about. Qantas Link is about being in the regions. Now they've got this centralisation approach and it's very rare that I would stand with the Transport Workers' Union or my Labor colleagues, Julie Collins, Labor Minister for Agriculture in Tasmania, and say that this is a bad move and Qantas need to rethink what they are planning.

MURPHY: 

People out here in our region are understandably already stressed about transport. You know, we don't have a train. hard to get to and from the city for medical reasons. The text line is going crazy. People are quite concerned. Is it always a concern for the region when big businesses start to take things away from us?

WEBSTER: 

100%. Yes, it is. You know, I've said to you before, I've certainly said to many journalists before, if our regional stories are not heard in the cities in particular, and I'm talking to Qantas right now, if they don't pay attention to us, we feel invisible and we are becoming increasingly invisible as these centralised approaches are taken by big business, by government, I don't care who it is, when they take services out of the region, it impacts us. And it's not good enough. And I will continue to stand against this move by Qantas and urge Qantas to rethink their planning.

MURPHY: 

They have tried to provide a little bit of reassurance, Qantas have said that even if the bases are closed, flights won't be affected. Do you believe that?

WEBSTER: 

No, I don't buy that at all. I think that, look, Qantas are a very smooth working little machine here. They've got all the words, a bit like Labor. Does it mean we're going to end up in a better situation? No, absolutely not. How can you possibly take professionals out of a region like Mildura and ensure planes won't be delayed further? As I said, if you've got to bring in a pilot or a flight attendant to make up a full crew in order for a plane to take off, you have to wait half a day. I don't know anyone who wants to wait half a day for Qantas to be able to deliver that flight.

MURPHY:

So you feel that they're neglecting their regional customers?

WEBSTER: 

Absolutely. They absolutely are. They are taking ... you know despite a $90 million court case that they just lost in the Federal Court and now have to hand $50 million to the TWU and another $40 million as it's distributed in time for bad their employees ... this is not helping their case. And I think they need to rethink what they're doing and consider their reputation. For Mildura and surrounds, we have a growing area. They are saying that the base is going to shrink. Well, I just don't buy that. We have, as you said, very few ways to get out of Mildura to receive healthcare, to do business, to go see a footy game, whatever people are wanting to do. There are very few options, particularly with Rex in administration and we need QantasLink to pay attention to the regions and to give us the best service possible. There's definitely concern and continued fear on the ground in Mildura, you know, losing services such as flights, and there's already limited options for travel with no train to our capital city here.

MURPHY:

Is there anything that can be done at a federal level to help improve or advocate for our connectivity?

WEBSTER: 

Well, that is part of my role and certainly my shadow colleague, Bridget McKenzie, Senator, for Infrastructure and Regional Development - I'm also regional development - that is our goal, is to see our regions thrive. And by ripping out connectivity measures such as flights, they've had to reduce flights, of course they've enlarged the planes from 300 series to 400 series. I get all that. There are pragmatics involved here. However, they need to increase the number of flights. They assure me, Qantas assures me they will increase flights by December. Well, I can tell you what, I'm watching. And they need to be able to give more options to the people who keep them flying.

MURPHY:

In your media release, you described this move as short-sighted and poorly consulted. Do you think Qantas should have consulted with communities and staff before the initial review was complete?

WEBSTER: 

Look, I think just the word consultation, let's remember we're going through all the renewable and REZ and transmission lines. mean, consultation is a nothing word now, as some of my friends would say, a 'nothing burger', and it really is. What does consultation mean? Well, we sent you an email, 'we gave you a phone call, job done.' No, the job is not done. And when you've got five families that you are uprooting and saying, well, you know, your job can be in Melbourne, Sydney or Brisbane, but if you want to stay in Mildura, you will have to pay for your seats to fly to your workplace. Yes, they get cheaper seats. We understand that. Nonetheless, the pilots and the flight attendants, if they choose stay, to stay in Mildura, I've seen the emails, will have to to pay for their taxes for the dickie seat or pay for their seats to get to their workplace.

MURPHY:

Yeah, it's a bizarre one. I imagine, too, it's quite affronting that Qantas had a near record full-year profit of $2.39 billion. Does this information feel like an extra slap in the face after that success that they had?

WEBSTER: 

Absolutely, it certainly does. I'm horrified that kind of profit is looked at in order to grow more, profit, not actually deliver better services and particularly to our regional capitals such as Mildura. We are the largest regional airport in Victoria. Let's remember that. We are also the most isolated regional city in Victoria. And we have Qantas, we have governments ripping funding out and away from our region. We are desperate to grow. We need a new hospital. There is just so much that both Qantas and the government and other businesses are not investing. And this is a great opportunity to show that they do have moral character and social goodwill.

MURPHY:

Dr Webster, we'll leave it there. Thank you so much for your time.

WEBSTER: 

Thank you.

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