Government should hold Qantas to account

Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown said today the Government should ensure Qantas' plans to operate offshore under a different name, and employ cheap labour, are not in breach of the Qantas Sale Act 1992.

"The Greens will hold the Government to its promise made today in the Senate, in response to a question to Senator Evans, to subject Qantas to monitoring to ensure it is aware of its legislative obligations and complies with the Act," Senator Brown said.

"It is questionable that Qantas, as Senator Evans claims, is currently complying with the Act. If Qantas conducts scheduled flights overseas under a name that is not Qantas then the airline could be found to be in breach of the Act."

"Employers should also be required to match the 72-hour notice period that unions are required to give prior to industrial action," Senator Brown said in the Senate while questioning Senator Evans.