Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Hansard source

I certainly thank the member for Chifley for his question. As a result of the shutdown, at least 68,000 Qantas passengers were affected—48,000 domestic passengers and 20,000 international passengers. As a result of that, people could not get to businesses; people could not get home to their families. We had people turning up at London Heathrow Airport and other airports not knowing how they could get home. Indeed, last night I spoke to a gentleman who had booked on Qantas, had flown from the United States and was stranded in a Sydney hotel with his 34-week pregnant wife. I intervened because he was unable to get a seat on a plane. My office rang Qantas and they were able to get him and his wife seats to Cairns this morning.

They are the sorts of personal issues that were raised as a result of this issue. That is why the government was so determined to get this airline up and running. Those opposite ask why we did not do something. The Leader of the Opposition was asked a very clear question on ABC 24 on 14 October: what would be your specific intervention? He was given the opportunity to call for government intervention and he did not do so.

Mr Hockey interjecting–

That is right, and what changed between 14 October and Friday? What changed before Qantas made this decision? One thing changed: the unions—

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