The underlying problem with the Qatar decision? Qantas — its reputation now trashed — was once owned by the government

It is often the case in politics that, as observers heckle from the sidelines in the best Waldorf and Statler tradition, they will be heard to cry: "What on earth was the government thinking?" But after a week of a lot of noise in federal parliament, most people have no clearer idea of what the government, or at least Transport Minister Catherine King, was actually thinking when, in July, she knocked back a bid to let Qatar Airways fly more frequently into Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Beyond allegedly selling 8,000 tickets for flights it already knew wouldn't take off, hoarding landing slots at airports, making it virtually impossible to redeem credits and – for many – the bitter memory of how it just closed down and left thousands of Australians stranded during the pandemic, the most bizarre aspect of the federal government's defence of its decision relates to the Qantas workforce. Qantas' new era begins Photo shows Vanessa Hudson, the incoming Qantas CEO, with model plane in foreground showing Flying Kangaroo With Alan Joyce announcing his abrupt departure from Qantas two months ahead of schedule, Vanessa Hudson is now in control of an airline with a reputation problem — and disgruntled customers say it will be tough to win them back. Loading A fascinating question to contemplate King is signalling her department will be going back to a report by former Productivity Commission head Peter Harris, commissioned under the former government, to consider this issue of slots, rather than do something through the final aviation white paper next year which will follow this week's green paper.