Monday was a red-letter day for the Qantas-Labor national governing coalition, with federal ministers yet again melting into puddles as they attempted to justify the Joyce-Albanese government’s decision to block Qatar Airways from launching 28 new flights per week into Australia.

Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones was stoned on truth serum when he told reporters that Qantas – whose international division has been charging customers 52 per cent more by flying 28 per cent less than pre-COVID – is receiving sovereign protection on its Europe and UK routes to avoid “design(ing) our markets in a way which will make it unsustainable for the existing Australian-based carrier.”