Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr President. The government is determined to give Qantas its freedom because that is the only economically responsible course of action—recommended, in fact, by none other than David Epstein, a former Qantas executive and senior Labor adviser. Remember? A former chief of staff to Mr Rudd, a person who you might still recall.

As Mr Epstein said today:

A loan guarantee is not an assured risk; taxpayers would face a real prospect of being on the hook for billions if Qantas were as vulnerable as some have us believe. That is not in the national interest.

Not in the national interest! What is it about that statement that the Labor-Green opposition in this place do not understand? Mr Epstein's advice is that the Qantas Sale Act should go and that the ALP should not stand in the way. We say 'amen' to that.