No doubt Israel Folau was sacked by Qantas: Latham

The NSW One Nation leader says Qantas head Alan Joyce and other RA sponsors forced sacking.

Mark Latham has accused Alan Joyce of pressuring Rugby Australia to sack Israel Folau.

One Nation NSW leader Mark Latham has accused Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce and other corporate sponsors of Rugby Australia of forcing Israel Folau’s sacking in comments under parliamentary privilege this morning.

Mr Latham says that Qantas’s views on Mr Folau’s comments on homosexuals going to hell on a social media post resulted in Rugby Australia fearing lost sponsorship revenue and forcing Mr Folau’s departure.

He read from a witness statement by Rugby Australia boss Raelene Castle from the Folau hearing which mentioned her concern at losing Qantas’s sponsorship because of Mr Folau’s comments.

Contacted by The Australian today, Qantas declined to make further comment beyond Mr Joyce’s statement last month, when he said: “We don’t sponsor something to get involved in controversy. That’s not part of the deal. We expect our partners to take the appropriate action. It’s their issue, they have to deal with it.”

Quoting Ms Castle this morning, Mr Latham said: “I calculated … at least $10 million of annual sponsorship revenue … was at significantly greater risk as a result of Mr Folau’s conduct.”

Mr Latham added: “The head of Rugby Australia is putting a commercial value on the religious freedom of Israel Folau.

“That just shows the fix was in. Qantas knew Folau was going to get punted.

“Ms Castle was acting as the slave of [Alan] Joyce within her organisation

“She knew what he wanted without even a direct conversation with him.”

Mr Latham said: “75 years ago today young men from across the free world stormed the beaches of Normandy … to fight for the freedom of all mankind”.

“How in 2019 are so many Australians worried about the loss of religious freedom?” Mr Latham said.

“How in 2019 do we look at Israel Folau and wonder how a football player and resident of NSW has lost his job?

“We’re fighting dictatorial corporations who purchase … control of sporting codes.

“These big corporate chiefs preach diversity . . but they’re trying to impose uniformity.”

Mr Latham quoted Ms Castle’s written evidence which said days before Folau’s post Rugby Australia had commenced commercial negotiations with Qantas on further sponsorship.”

She said corporate partners including Qantas had approached her at a meeting to “express their concerns”.

Mr Latham rose later and said “There’s no doubt Israel Folau was sacked by Qantas.”

He asked Labor members of the Legislative Council whether they wanted to support Qantas, or the worker in Israel Folau.

Mr Latham said it was outrageous Mr Folau had been sacked for comments he made well away from his workplace and it was not like he had made them in a post-match interview.

Mr Latham successfully moved that the Legislative Council: “support the basic human right of New South Wales workers to express political, cultural and religious opinions in their private time, away from their place of work, without suffering employment penalties”, but Labor defeated other aspects of his motion criticising Rugby Australia’s actions towards Mr Folau.