PM Abbott won’t try to read what’s in our hearts but points out most overseas travellers don’t use the national carrier

JUST like Holden and Ford before it, the PM admits Australians don’t care for Qantas that much any more, and maybe it’s time to look overseas.

The Prime Minister Tony Abbott during a press conference in Parliament House in Canberra.

PRIME Minister Tony Abbott today acknowledged our sentimental attachment to Qantas as an Australian symbol is not being matched by travellers’ loyalty to the airline.

Mr Abbott likened the patronage fall-off to the customer desertion of another national icon, Holden, which will soon close down.

The Prime Minister’s comments came as the Government considered moves which could end Qantas’s status as the national carrier by allowing majority foreign ownership in the airline.

“I don’t want to speculate on what’s going on inside people’s heads and inside their hearts,” the Prime Minister told reporters after being asked if sentimental attachment to the national carrier had diminished since a 49 per cent foreign ownership limit was imposed in 1992.

“But we know that something like 25 per cent of Australians travel overseas on Qantas and that means something like 75 per cent of us travel overseas on other airlines.

“We know that the percentage of Australians buying cars that are made in Australia has dropped and dropped and dropped despite the fact that many of us remain sentimentally attached to Holden or to Ford.”

Mr Abbott — who flew Qantas economy to Europe with his family recently on a holiday — said the Government’s job was to allow ”all Australian businesses — iconic or not so iconic as the case may be — to flourish.”

“That’s our business — to make it easier to do its business,” he said.

“And sometimes iconic businesses get into trouble. Our hope is that over the years we’ll keep our old icons, sure, but over the years we might gain some new ones as well.”

Just 31 per cent of voters support increased foreign ownership, according to an Essential Media poll released Monday, and 36 per cent agreed the government should buy the airline back into public ownership.

But that wasn’t reflected in brand loyalty. Just 35 per cent said they try to fly Qantas.

However, 47 per cent said they didn’t care whether they flew Qantas or not and 19 per cent said they tried to avoid the airline.

Qantas has been seeking Government assistance since late last year and tomorrow is expected to announce significant workforce cuts as it struggles to trim its spending.

The Government is considering going guarantor — for a price — on some Qantas borrowings.

It is also considering changes to the 22-year-old Qantas Sale Act which demands the national airline must be at least 51 per cent Australian owned.

Mr Abbott has described the Act as a ‘ball and chain’ on the airline.

Majority foreign ownership would help the airline raise more money to compete in the increasingly tight aviation market.

But that also would end the airline’s role, developed over 94 years, as a national symbol.

Unions oppose changes to the ownership restrictions out of fear that jobs would go overseas while the Labor Opposition today repeated that it would not support changes to the Act.

Shadow transport minister Anthony Albanese said the distinctive flying kangaroo was advertising for Australia overseas.

Mr Albanese said the provisions for Qantas to be based in Australia meant Australian-based jobs were created.

“It’s about time Tony Abbott and (Transport Minister) Warren Truss said what their plan for Qantas was,” he said.