Qantas saga offers key lessons on corporate activism

Qantas saga offers key lessons on the dangers of corporate activism

The ongoing level of public anger at Qantas is unsurprising. Rarely have Australians felt so comprehensively failed by a company, particularly one we are so reliant on. Some of this hurt is our nation’s deep emotional bond with the Flying Kangaroo. While it’s easy to judge an individual as a culprit, clearly the breadth of disenchantment goes much deeper. An ongoing warped culture underpins the mess and the nation has had a gutful of the sheer arrogance. In part, Qantas has never fully escaped its public service mentality. The unworkability of random flight cancellations; ineffective call centre capacity and outcomes; poor on-time departure records, and; over-aggressive lobbying have been demoralising. There has also been the woke posturing on social issues put before optimal service performance. Where has the board been for the past six to eight years? Clearly it’s time for some to go. Either chair Richard Goyder is overcomitted or is not up to the broad complexity that is the multifaceted Qantas and aviation landscape. Qantas has badly failed the national interest. A far deeper remedial process is now needed.

Tony Overheu, Jolimont, WA

The Qantas saga is a lesson in the substantial risks big corporations take when virtue-signalling on social issues. Inevitably this behaviour involves high-profile, public support for issues well beyond the remit of the corporation’s core activities without consultation with shareholders or customers. It often involves a cosy relationship with government, providing reciprocal benefits and concessions.

This type of behaviour inevitably invites scrutiny of company performance. In Qantas’ case service standards were highlighted as poor, with refunds not being returned and cancelled flights sold to customers. The lesson to corporates is to stick to core business and leave the politics to the electorate. Virtue-signalling on social issues may come back to bite you and your brand badly.

Martin Newington, Aspendale, Vic

Backflip bureaucracy

The government’s proposed misinformation and disinformation bill has received a lot of coverage. There have been many instances where those in authority have determined that information is “misinformation” or “disinformation”, only for the “misinformation” or “disinformation” to ultimately be shown to be factually correct.

What will the government’s bill do to allow remedial action to restore the reputation and loss of earnings for those companies deemed to be guilty of spreading misinformation or disinformation when their data is subsequently shown to be factually correct? It should be noted the grounds for vindication may not occur until years after the event.

Paul Tooker, Bald Knob, Qld

SSO hits divisive note

The Sydney Symphony Orchestra, which I have subscribed to for 20 years, has broken my trust. Prior to the concert on Saturday afternoon a member of the orchestra, without any pre-warning, wrongly used her platform to advocate for a Yes vote in the upcoming referendum. She claimed to speak on behalf of the orchestra. The assumption that every member of the SSO shares her political views in this matter is unlikely. Even if it is the case that all SSO members share identical views, it was a massive breach of trust. SSO audiences have every right to anticipate that their experience will be free of politics. It was also extraordinarily rude to the guest violinist, Emily Sun.

Robin Barker, Bondi, NSW

My husband and I were shocked by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra’s decision to use its concert to campaign for the Yes vote. The SSO may be playing to its Labor government funders, but its members have forgotten that patrons like my husband and I, as well as thousands of subscribers, also support them. We do so because we hold Western classical music to be the pinnacle of our aesthetic values and a welcome haven for people of all cultures, faiths and political persuasions to come together. The cases for both sides of the referendum are not to be dismissed, but neither are they to be thrust upon us as a captive audience. We are there for the music, not for the political propaganda of the SSO.

Rachael Kohn, Mosman, NSW

At a well-attended afternoon concert at the Sydney Opera House on Saturday the audience was harangued by a member of the orchestra. This person made the now standard acknowledgement of country and followed up with a virtue-signalling announcement that the whole orchestra was supporting the Yes case. There was loud applause by a majority of those present. The remainder were left feeling they had just been ambushed. I have only praise for the musicality of the orchestra. The applause at the end of Beethoven’s 7th Symphony was, I am happy to say, both louder and much more sustained than the applause awarded the voice advertisement.

Christopher Bellenger, Clovelly, NSW