Qantas customers can ‘outsource’ too, to another carrier

So this is how Qantas still calls Australia home (“Qantas cuts 850 local jobs, outsourcing roles to India”, November 11). During the pandemic the total amount paid to that company by our government, from Australian taxpayer funds as JobSeeker, freight assistance, route subsidies and repatriation flight payments is reported to be over a billion dollars. At the same time they stood down thousands of workers and cut jobs. Now they have confirmed that another 850 jobs will go as they transfer back-office operations to India. Politicians prize their Chairman’s Lounge memberships too much to raise anything more than an eyebrow while they raise an Aviation Spritz to their lips. Graeme Smith, Daceyville

Another company off-shoring jobs that Australian workers can do, after making a huge profit. Our government should stop its employees from flying on Qantas. Richard Harman, Banora Point

Apart from all the current AI/data centres, I am dismayed at the current “management” at Qantas, who seem to have just abandoned a hundred or so years of Australian aviation history, training and technical expertise. I can tell the QF management that I will be “outsourcing” my travel requirements from now on. I feel abandoned by an Australian icon, which has fought in our wars and built fabulous aviation networks over the longest routes in the world (and some of the shortest). A few (many) years ago, I had a flying school at Bankstown Airport, and most of our instructors went on to become Qantas captains. Aussies have built this world-class airline, with what used to be excellent technical and operational expertise, but it is being trashed by “management” who only see “shareholder” value as the criterion of what they are doing. Dave Pyett, Maroubra

Perhaps it is time for Australians to stop flying Qantas? Shane Nunan, Finley

Why should Australians use firms that move so many staff functions overseas to pursue profit? Loyalty goes both ways from consumers and back (supposedly) from Australian companies. Peter Henderson, Glenhaven

When the current Qantas CEO took over, she said her main job was to regain the trust of the Australian public – however, what she really meant was that the faithful Qantas worker remains low on the list of priorities. Qantas has become and will remain just another “cheap” and nasty carrier with very little Australian content. A missed opportunity. David Goldstein, Balgowlah

The Albanese-Charlton juggernaut is desperately keen to build AI centres here in Australia, yet corporate Australia, led by the likes of Qantas, Telstra and Coles, is already shipping white-collar jobs offshore. With tech investments accelerating, we appear headed towards major domestic unemployment. If automation is powerful enough to handle these roles, why are Australian jobs already being exported overseas? Everyone knows the drill: “Thank you for patiently waiting, I’ll just transfer you to my colleague.” These overseas call centres are inefficient, as the real cost is borne entirely by consumers wasting hours on hold. Instead of chasing cheap offshore labour arbitrage to manage legacy systems, companies could easily maintain these jobs here and let AI do the heavy lifting locally. What is the point of government ambitions for domestic tech hubs if the tech is already here, yet our workforce is locked out before we even begin? Harold Scruby, Neutral Bay

It is incredible that Qantas was happy to seek support from the Australian government and taxpayers during the pandemic yet now it can only “modernise” by taking jobs overseas instead of employing the people who kept the company solvent. This lack of loyalty towards Australia is not just sad, but a breach of trust. Shame on Qantas. Australians should expect more. Linda Page, Baulkham Hills

If the self-proclaimed “spirit of Australia” can outsource another chunk of its business overseas, then it can hardly blame potential Australian customers — hitherto loyal to the brand — for considering similar moves. Bradley Wynne, Croydon

Homegrown fuel fix

While Rob Harris rightly highlights Australia’s fuel vulnerability (“Final two refineries never played a more crucial role”, November 11), spending billions to support or build conventional oil refineries overlooks a massive opportunity. A new refinery that relies on imported crude doesn’t fix our reliance on risky international shipping routes. The better, cheaper solution is a condensate splitter. Australia already produces around 200,000 barrels a day of condensate, a light and clean by-product of our LNG industry. Right now, we export almost all of it to Asia, only to buy it back later as expensive petrol and diesel. Instead of relying on overseas crude and importing 80 per cent of our refined fuels, we could build a condensate splitter in Karratha. This simple facility would directly separate our own condensate into usable fuels like diesel and jet fuel. It would cost a tiny fraction of any new conventional refinery and could easily use existing North West Shelf infrastructure. If we want real fuel security, we need to start refining the resources we already produce right here at home. John Kempler, Rose Bay

Diesel dilemma

Ross Gittins (“Bumpy road is the only way back for Albanese”, November 11) asks where measures to control the cost of living might be found and doesn’t foresee anything quick or easy. Here’s a suggestion. Divert the 53.7 cents per litre diesel fuel rebate currently going to big miners (worth $622 million to BHP alone last year and on track to reach $5 billion across the industry this year) to diesel road transport for household goods, specifically food and disposables. Added to the existing 21.3 cents per litre for heavy road transport, it’s a subsidy of 75 cents per litre and sending diesel prices back towards where they used to be before Trump’s war elevated them. And the big grocery companies can be relied upon to squeeze the transporters sufficiently that at least a reasonable portion of the saving is passed on rather than gouged. Quick, simple. And then listen to Australia’s richest woman howl. Gary Stowe, Springwood

When greed trumps care

Several organs of the media have exposed the money-grubbing attitude of many aged care home providers (“Worried you can’t afford aged care? Here’s what you could pay”, November 11). The idea that a simple cooked breakfast is a luxury, and that residents should pay extra for access to television or a telephone is a stain on any good reputation that the industry might have. Some providers obviously regard their aged residents as cash-cows from which they can extract a continued flow of financial profit from any excuse their fertile minds might conceive. No wonder many aged people regard institutional care as next door to hell. Those who can still manage to live in their own homes, usually with the support of their families and government provided assistance, are blessed. Unfortunately, many do not have those privileges, and as a result, in some cases have their often stretched financial resources plundered by greedy aged home providers. Hopefully, the investigative section of our media organisations will continue to hold these people up to the judgement of the community. Derrick Mason, Boorowa

Climate change an urgent issue

If ever there were to be an immaculate use of “smoke and mirrors”, the prime COP31 objective would be close to a perfect example (“Electrics in the spotlight as climate talks begin”, November 11). Through the setting of targets for widespread electrification for the world’s energy needs, Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen neatly obfuscates Australia’s growing exports of fossil fuels. The greenhouse gas emissions from these have almost doubled over the last two decades. Supporting global electrification is admirable, but the substantial consumption of fossil fuels will no doubt continue contributing to long-term increased global warming. Roger Epps, Armidale

It’s welcome that the Albanese government is leading negotiations at the global climate conference. Australians should hope for two key outcomes. First, more climate finance directed to vulnerable nations, especially those in the Pacific such as Tuvalu, where sea walls alone will never be enough. Second, a stronger agreement to shift away from fossil fuels, including the coal and gas our own nation remains addicted to. Just a decade after the historic Paris Agreement, the 1.5-degree goal is slipping out of reach, and the climate crisis is accelerating. We shall fight it by cutting pollution, we shall fight it by electrifying our homes and industries, we shall fight it by ending deforestation. We shall never surrender. Amy Hiller, Kew (Vic)

Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen, who is leading negotiations at COP31 in Antalya, is right: climate change isn’t coming, it’s here. In a volatile world still running on coal, oil and gas, a global electrification target is smart geopolitics. But it’s poor climate policy. Electrifying the world while digging up ever more fossil fuels is like bailing out a boat while drilling holes in the hull. The first job is to phase out polluting coal, oil and gas. Yet, the Albanese government keeps approving new and expanded coal and gas projects for export. Australia can’t lead the world on climate while selling it the fuels driving the crisis. If Labor wants credibility in Antalya, they should start at home. Sarah Brennan, Hawthorn (Vic)

Following Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen’s call to rebuild trust, as the impacts of warming hit the world fast and harder, your correspondent from Pennsylvania politely reminds him that “Trust is not built in negotiating halls. It is built at home.” (Letters, November 11). Australians’ trust in the Albanese government’s position on climate action is now low, as the prime minister and cabinet refuse to accept any moral or legal responsibility for the 1 billion tonnes a year of scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions in export shipments of our coal and gas, and as they continue to approve large new coal and gas projects. A clear lesson from the Iran conflict is that a dramatic cut in fossil fuel supplies significantly hastens the transition to renewables and electrification of the global economy. So, prime minister, when the next coal or gas project comes up for approval, please give it an emphatic “no”. Rob Firth, Red Hill (ACT)

History’s lesson

Peter FitzSimons’ Remembrance Day story (“The war widow, a love story and a flag stitched from Japanese rags”, November 11) brings to mind the old sober caution: War does not determine who is right – only who is left. Let’s pray that governments and politicians learn from history so we do not have a repeat of the devastating two world wars. Steve Ngeow, Chatswood

Strong connections

Adam Voigt draws our attention to the fact that the best schools are those that foster a feeling of deep belonging (“Community is so important when you choose school for a child”, November 11). However, the need to foster belonging goes way beyond schools. It applies to my family, my street, my town, my friendship groups, my social or sporting clubs, my church, my political party, and my country. Belonging promotes caring, mutual respect and support, and motivation to strive vigorously for common goals. Society functions best and its members are happiest when all its members can feel that they belong. Paul Casey, Callala Bay

Selective outrage

Chris Minns is complaining about violent ads, is he (“Minns slams ‘violence’ of gun lobby ads”, November 11)? Let’s not forget that Minns gave $16 million of taxpayer funds to the violent sport of UFC through Destination NSW to bring three major pay-per-view events to Sydney. Hypocrisy much? Tim Egan, Mosman

Time to move on

Thank goodness Cricket Australia is not having further investigations into “Sandpapergate” and that CEO Todd Greenberg calls for it to be put behind us and move on (“All eyes on Smith as sandpaper claims threaten to divide team”, November 11). Usman Khawaja didn’t really tell us anything we didn’t strongly suspect, i.e. that the whole team would have known about it. David Warner, Cameron Bancroft and Steve Smith took their medicine and protected their teammates. They can hold their heads high for accepting their over-the-top suspensions and showing a special loyalty to the Australian team. And let’s face it, England and the other cricket nations have been ball tampering in a multitude of different ways for decades, with those called out merely given a slap on the wrist. Come on everyone, it’s eight years on from the sandpaper incident, three good men have served their excessive suspensions with dignity – surely it’s time to stop talking about it and move on. Ken Butler, Mount Colah

I am not a young man. I have supported, watched, listened to, yelled at and barracked for the Australian cricket team for most of my life, in public and private, in the sun and in the rain. Now, my belief in the Australian cricket team has been destroyed. I am cast adrift. (Sigh.) Bob Liddelow, Avalon

Uzzy says everyone knew. Warner agrees. Starc says he didn’t know. I don’t know what happened during the sandpaper incident in South Africa because I wasn’t there. All I do know is someone is lying, and it’s not me. Tim Overland, Castle Hill

• To submit a letter to the Sydney Morning Herald, email letters@smh.com.au. Click here for tips on how to submit letters.
• The Opinion newsletter is a weekly wrap of views that will challenge, champion and inform. Sign up here.