Ross Solly:
I wonder whether Andrew Leigh is a fan. Are you a fan of daylight saving Andrew Leigh? Well, you’re a runner. You probably do love it. Do you love it or not? Good morning to you.
Andrew Leigh:
Well, it does make a little trickier to get out in the morning Ross. I’m enjoying the fact that I can run at the moment without my headlamp. And when daylight savings kicks in, the headlamp goes back on for a few weeks.
Solly:
Yeah, well, but I’m sure you’ll still do it. Anyway, Andrew Leigh let’s talk about Qantas. I know you lobbied hard. Your federal colleagues lobbied, in fact, everybody who has any interest in Canberra lobbied hard for this, and basically, now Qantas has flipped the bird at us. Is that fair to say?
Leigh:
I think it is Ross. They’ve made $2.39 billion in profit this year and yet seem determined to go ahead with closing these bases, not only in Canberra, but also Mildura and Hobart. And that means that there’ll be pilots who may well decide no longer to stay with the airline. There was one survey that their Pilots’ Association did, along with the Transport Workers Union which found 68 per cent of those pilots would reconsider working with the airline. And one in 5 of them have already had to move once due to a base closure.
Solly:
Yeah, I mean they say it’s not about money. I mean, you pointed out the profit there which is huge – but they say this is not money‑related Andrew Leigh. Do you buy that?
Leigh:
No, I don’t Ross. I think if it’s not about money then they should keep the base open in order to maintain the connection to the community. I mean, Qantas shouldn’t just be about the bottom line, it should also be about its social license to operate. That means looking after communities like ours, recognising the value that Qantas employees bring and the value that Canberrans place on having a Qantas base in the nation’s capital.
Solly:
A lot of people contacting us on the text line to say they’ve had enough now – the delays, the cancellations. Qantas says that this decision won’t affect that, that there won’t be delays. But a few people are scratching their head and saying, ‘What happens when you have those dreaded cancellations of flights because of fog and that sort of stuff?’ How do you cover that if you don’t have people on base here? I mean, do you think Andrew Leigh, from what you’ve heard and the questions you’ve asked, that there is any danger that we’ll have further delays and cancellations because of this decision?
Leigh:
We do wonder if they could get any worse Ross. And right now that Canberra–Sydney leg is the worst for on‑time arrivals – which includes both cancellations and delays – of any route in the country. Last time I checked, it was about one in 10 of those flights don’t make it in time. So, that’s a very poor performance by Qantas, and they need to be doing better by the Canberra community.
Solly:
Yeah. So, is the issue dead now or is there a way that you can fight to maybe get them to reconsider this?
Leigh:
The government’s urging Qantas to reconsider the move. We’ve said very clearly they should be engaging with those who are affected. They need to consult better, they need to make sure there’s no job losses and of course, they need to make sure there’s no reduction in services.
Solly:
Will you continue to fly with Qantas?
Leigh:
I’ll do it when I have to, but I certainly will also be looking at their competitors as well.
Solly:
And what about you? I assume you have a Qantas Club membership Andrew Leigh. Will you hold on to that?
Leigh:
Yeah, that’s something that makes it possible to get work done when you get these inordinate delays Ross. One of the corollaries of flying a lot is that you end up delayed a lot. Being able to be productive and continue to answer constituents’ emails is a necessity in that circumstance.
Solly:
I tell you what though, wouldn’t it send a powerful message if you and all your other colleagues here in Canberra just got the scissors out today, cut up the card, put it in an envelope – I think they still exist, envelopes, and posted it off to Qantas. Wouldn’t that send a strong message?
Leigh:
I don’t think they’d care at all Ross. We will continue to make a strong case for Qantas to do better by everyone. And we know that as representatives for Canberra, that we need a Qantas that is looking after the nation’s capital.
Solly:
When was the last time you spoke to Qantas, and do you think they actually took seriously the concerns that were raised by you and others?
Leigh:
Yeah, so the federal Labor representatives wrote to Qantas last week urging them not to go ahead with the base closure as soon as we heard it being mooted. We’ll continue to engage with them. They certainly listened to our messages, but in this case, they haven’t followed through and done the right thing by Canberra.
Solly:
All right. We will be speaking to Qantas later this hour and get them to explain exactly what the reasoning is behind it. Andrew Leigh, appreciate your time this morning. Thank you.
Leigh:
Thanks so much, Ross.
Solly:
That is Andrew Leigh, the federal Member for Fenner, on the decision by Qantas to close down its base here.