Flying kangaroo no friend of Regional Queenslanders

KAP State Leader and Traeger MP Robbie Katter has hit out at Qantas over revelations the airline has not paid corporate tax in two of the past 10 years.

“I am still waiting for Qantas CEO Alan Joyce to collect his Un-Australian of the year award which has been sitting in my office for the past six months,” Robbie said.

“It’s disgraceful that an airline, founded in regional Queensland to serve people in these areas, now seems to take great delight profiteering off the backs of the same people it was created to serve. Airline prices have as much of a devastating effect on our regional communities as out of control electricity and insurance prices.”

“Alan Joyce’s renumeration in 2016 is reported as being almost $25 million, I think for most Queenslanders that’s pretty hard to swallow.

“There was a lot of chest beating when Qantas announced a record $1.53 billion underlying profit in 2016, up from a $975 underlying profit in 2015, while residents in Mount Isa and Cloncurry had to take out loans just to fly to the coast to visit family.

“I am hopeful the Federal Senate inquiry into regional airline operations that is currently underway will result in some airfare relief of regional Queenslanders.

“People in regional Queensland have lost faith in the major airlines and they have a lot of work to do to win back that trust.’’