“There’s a number of hurdles, but I’m eternally optimistic.” Work still to be done includes convincing Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority it is safe for pilots to fly for more than 19 hours, and negotiating a new pay deal with pilots. Qantas has said “productivity gains” were needed to make the routes viable. However the union representing Qantas’ international pilots has signalled it will not be swayed by the promise of new aircraft and routes, while also questioning whether enough data is available to fully understand the risks of pilot fatigue on such long flights. Mr Joyce said Qantas intends to maintain capital expenditure at about $2 billion a year as it introduces 109 Airbus A321neos to the fleet of its low-cost subsidiary Jetstar, and also starts replacing its 75 domestic workhorse Boeing 737s over the next decade. New jets to operate Sunrise flights sit outside of that forecast spending however. The aircraft that could … [Read more...] about Qantas boss Joyce ‘optimistic’ new ultra-long haul routes will happen
Cat and mouse: What is Antony Catalano up to this time?
Loading The deal did however pave the way for Catalano to buy Fairfax's regional newspaper arm Australian Community Media for $125 million. He was backed by billionaire investor and friend Alex Waislitz. He has had control of ACM for more than three months. Many observers believe it is not performing strongly – a safe bet given most regional media companies are struggling to overcome audience shifts to digital platforms and a soft advertising market. But what does Catalano do next? Mergers There's no escaping what Catalano said one month ago when he sat on stage and described his own industry as being in a crisis. Regional news organisations, he told a crowd of industry professionals at an annual publishing event in Sydney, need to push the government to abolish the one-to-a-market rule for television and remove TV licence fees. Loading The suggestion was particularly surprising because ACM does not have television interests. At least, not yet. His comments clearly … [Read more...] about Cat and mouse: What is Antony Catalano up to this time?
Why not to be sucked in by the ‘confidence industrial complex’
The most recent research laying waste to the claim that women’s lack of confidence accounts for their failure to break the glass ceiling comes from Alison Wynn, a research associate at the Stanford VMware Women’s Leadership Innovation Lab, whose paper, Pathways toward Change, was published this month in the influential journal Gender & Society. Wynn’s research found that employer programs that aim to address women’s lack of confidence through mentoring place the blame for women’s inequality – and the responsibility for addressing it – on individual women, rather than structures, which ultimately makes them ineffective. “They’re rooted in the belief that if … women can be taught to behave more assertively and demonstrate valued skills (through mentorship), then perhaps gender inequalities can be reduced,” Wynn wrote in an article about the research for the Harvard Business Review. “But this thinking fails to do … [Read more...] about Why not to be sucked in by the ‘confidence industrial complex’
WiseTech critic defiant on claims against $10bn tech giant
"There tends to be an inverse relation between the honesty and the litigiousness of the company. Maybe it's because the only weapon you have is the pocketbook." A string of Australian companies have been targeted by offshore short sellers over the past year. And at least two have referred their claims to regulators. Treasury Wine Estates, the owner of Wolf Blass and Penfolds wine labels referred claims against it to the Australian Securities and Investment Commission in August. Rural Funds Group (RFF), which is taking legal action against Texan short seller Bonitas Research in the NSW Supreme Court, confirmed that it has also lodged a complaint with the regulator. WiseTech is the first ASX-listed target by J Capital which has previously focused on Chinese groups. J Capital, which is run by former Labor candidate for the federal seat of Wentworth, Tim Murray, claimed in a research note released on Wednesday that WiseTech had overstated its profits by $116 million — or 178 per … [Read more...] about WiseTech critic defiant on claims against $10bn tech giant
‘Wall of secrecy’: Former ACCC tsar says transparency vanishing
"The government tends to be willing to pass whistleblowing laws affecting the private sector and [it] receives the support of the bureaucracy about that, but bureaucracy is very cool about whistleblowing within the government," he said. One option to improve transparency could be to reward whistleblowers financially in appropriate cases for choosing to take the risk of speaking up, he said. There is a similar system in the US when it comes to anti-trust cases and other jurisdictions offer whistleblowers a percentage of the penalty eventually paid. Loading A cultural change and a shift in the way whistleblowers are treated is also on Mr Fels' wish-list. He warned that intimidation and revenge were common experiences for whistleblowers, resulting in personal and financial suffering with often little compensation if any. "There are signs it's getting worse [with] the government. One would hope the government is moving in the opposite direction to be more tolerant and accepting of the … [Read more...] about ‘Wall of secrecy’: Former ACCC tsar says transparency vanishing