The Greens are calling for the federal government to renationalise Qantas if the company resists returning the COVID-19 aid it received from the federal government during the pandemic, a demand that has been resurrected since the flag carrier posted a swing in profit and revenue in fiscal 2023 as travel borders reopened.
“Now that Qantas is posting record profits, it’s only right that they should pay back the $2.7 billion (US$1.73 billion) in public money. If they refuse, the Labor government should consider taking Qantas back into public ownership to keep prices down and protect workers,” Greens spokesperson for Transport, Infrastructure and Sustainable Cities Elizabeth Watson-Brown MP said on Friday.
