Tony Sheldon (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

They didn't do anything with it, because the former government received the Harris review in February 2021 and nothing was done with it. Low and behold, as soon as the Liberals and Nationals are out of government, it's suddenly an urgent priority! The Harris review in February 2021 and 12 reports—all of a sudden there's time to play politics.

The Liberals and Nationals did a complete 180 on the Qatar Airways. When Qatar Airways came to then Minister Michael McCormack in 2018, he initially said he would be happy to increase their weekly route access from 21 to 28, but then a week later he suddenly changed his mind. He backflipped without reason or explanation and then refused to give them seven routes for another four years. Why? Why did the then minister, Minister McCormack, suddenly backflip on his Qatar decision? As it turns out, he hired a Qantas executive as his new chief of staff!

This brings me to the next piece of rank hypocrisy on display from those opposite: the cosy relationship between the Liberals and Nationals and Alan Joyce and Qantas.

Now they are in opposition, suddenly those opposite are very worried about Joyce's management of the airline. But where were they for the last 15 years?

Opposition senators interjecting—