Alan Joyce urges business to back Yes

Qantas chief executive calls on business community to throw its weight behind the same-sex marriage Yes campaign.

9/6/17: Chief Executive Officer of Qantas Airways, Alan Joyce at the Qantas HQ in Mascot, Sydney. He has been John Feder/The Australian

Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce has called on the business community to throw its weight behind the Yes campaign in the postal survey on same-sex marriage.

Mr Joyce said at a press conference with Bill Shorten this morning that Qantas would be strongly campaigning in favour of changing the Marriage Act, urging others to do the same.

“There is 1300 companies that have published their logo to support marriage equality, including all the banks and all the airlines, and I believe those companies should continue to go out there and support it,” Mr Joyce said.

“They have given their logos to that campaign before and I have no doubt a large element of the business community will be out there supporting this campaign.”

He said he was disappointed the vote went to a postal ballot and noted it was still subject to a High Court challenge.

“I think most of the LGBTI community would have preferred if this was decided by parliament. It is $122 million that we could have spent on other items,” Mr Joyce said.

“(But) I believe we have to get behind it and make sure that we have a Yes vote and certainly I will be out there strongly campaigning for a Yes vote.

“I think it is very important for our employees, customers and our shareholders and that is why Qantas is a supporter of marriage equality, why we are a supporter of gender equality and why we are a supporter of indigenous rights.

“We believe the social issues are very important of all of your stakeholders and are very important for this country.”