Bob Carr slags off business class

[SamR]

Well that is a bit ridiculous as most cinemas don't screen the Met productions.You learn something every day.

Let me just correct that slightly - most of the cinemas that will play opera are tied down to the Met. There are, of course, many that aren't interested, wherever it comes from.

Doesn't change the fact that Qantas should be showing the Australian content. I might be a bit biased, but it is quality stuff! . *attempts to stay on topic*

 

[amaroo]

Let me just correct that slightly - most of the cinemas that will play opera are tied down to the Met. There are, of course, many that aren't interested, wherever it comes from.

Doesn't change the fact that Qantas should be showing the Australian content. I might be a bit biased, but it is quality stuff! . *attempts to stay on topic*

You should hit up Angela Catterns to do the intros

 

[SamR]

You should hit up Angela Catterns to do the intros

On Qantas? I would so do that. IF QANTAS SHOWED OUR STUFF!!

 

[dcm]

I hope that wasn't tongue in cheek, though I suspect it might be. FWIW, I'm the Producer of filmed operas for Opera Australia. We make beautiful filmed operas that can happily stand shoulder to shoulder with any opera company in the world that makes these. And ours come with English subtitles. Qantas should buy them, they're a great showcase for Australian talent. But they don't.

Definitely not tongue in cheek SamR. I have suggested to Qantas on a couple of occasions that they should include some Opera Australia productions on their IFE. I would love to see them. I think that the range of classical music is fairly limited but particularly opera.

 

[TheEmu]

Let me just correct that slightly - most of the cinemas that will play opera are tied down to the Met. There are, of course, many that aren't interested, wherever it comes from.

Doesn't change the fact that Qantas should be showing the Australian content. I might be a bit biased, but it is quality stuff! . *attempts to stay on topic*

Much more interesting topic than the original IMHO.
Love your work!

 

[turtlemichael]

*attempts to stay on topic*

You are totally on topic SamR.

 

[quokka77]

Much as I dislike the sentiments and tone of Carr's travel whinges, I actually agree he shouldn't be flying J when F is available. If F isn't for a foreign minister on official business then who is it for? His wife on the other hand should be either paying for herself, flying on points or staying home.

 

[Fruitcake]

If F isn't for a foreign minister on official business then who is it for?

QF staff travel .

 

[Happy Trails]

QF staff travel .

And AFFers.

 

[drron]

SamR I have PMed Red Roo with your post.Hopefully AFF can get something going for you.

 

[burmans]

Much as I dislike the sentiments and tone of Carr's travel whinges, I actually agree he shouldn't be flying J when F is available. If F isn't for a foreign minister on official business then who is it for? His wife on the other hand should be either paying for herself, flying on points or staying home.

I agree with this, dont like Bob's whiney tone, but the story of him sleeping in his suit and then getting straight off the plane to meet important people isnt really right. My uncle was an important foreign diplomat (not Australian) who dealt at this sort of level and he certainly would have aligned with the view that showing up unkempt was not showing much respect for your hosts. I'm not sure if he always flew first but certainly that seemed to be the usual standard used because of the extremely high expectations that you are on duty from the minute you step off the plane.

Also don't agree with those who complain about the amount of flying Bob did, that's the job, it's called Foreign Minister for a reason.

 

[vetrade]

What about the big picture / elephant in the room here?? The pros and cons of business class, no PJs, plastic cutlery etc are irrelevant. Bob Carr was useless as Foreign Minister, not least because, as the anecdotes in his book attest, he perceives himself to be intellectually superior / more cultured / better read / educated / exercised and healthier fed than the foreign counterparts he was dealing with. He was, as always, preoccupied with fluff and expecting others to fawn over his importance than being a effective Foreign Minister. The only reason he had to sleep in his "tailored suit" was that he was seemingly incapable of taking some casual clothes to travel in.

 

[Danger]

Much as I dislike the sentiments and tone of Carr's travel whinges, I actually agree he shouldn't be flying J when F is available. If F isn't for a foreign minister on official business then who is it for? His wife on the other hand should be either paying for herself, flying on points or staying home.

It's all part of meeting the government's efficiency dividend. Not even the prime minister flies First class (when he flies commercial, rather than the government fleet). I think it also has a lot to do with public perception. Certainly, it was public perception that killed Commonwealth government employees (like federal pollies' staff) earning FF points. Coming on four years ago there was a media beat-up over politicians earning millions of FF points at taxpayer expense. If you did the sums, however, the average points earned by the 226 federal members of parliament was just 70k, not even enough for one J return coast to coast. But the public perception - and media propaganda - was it was wasting taxpayers' money.

 

[gaz0303]

OT but...I flew economy from Joburg to Entebbe along with Uganda's Prime Minister, who also flew economy. Made front page news and did wonders for his popularity. Responsible for a population of greater than 36m, one could argue his is more important than Mr Carr.

 

[SamR]

SamR I have PMed Red Roo with your post.Hopefully AFF can get something going for you.

That's great, thanks! I'll PM you in a minute.

 

[Cossie]

OT, but I found it very ironic that on a trip from Adelaide in January, there was a former senator in J class flying into Canberra for a National Commission Of Audit meeting.

Maybe like me, she was on a masa with a dsc offer.

 

[boomy]

OT but...I flew economy from Joburg to Entebbe along with Uganda's Prime Minister, who also flew economy. Made front page news and did wonders for his popularity. Responsible for a population of greater than 36m, one could argue his is more important than Mr Carr.

It's good to see a leader who set an example in a very corrupt continent.
And yes, he is more important then Mr. Carr.

 

[Warks]

Reminds me of when Obama called the heads of the "Big Three" car companies to Washington to discuss cost savings and how they could stay in business. Two out of the three CEOs turned up in their private jets. I think Obama had something to say about that.

Then again, even though I heard all that on the news it could be an urban myth. I don't know what to believe any more...

 

[SamR]

Reminds me of when Obama called the heads of the "Big Three" car companies to Washington to discuss cost savings and how they could stay in business. Two out of the three CEOs turned up in their private jets. I think Obama had something to say about that.

Then again, even though I heard all that on the news it could be an urban myth. I don't know what to believe any more...

No, I think you're right. I think he mentioned it in a speech.

 

[quokka77]

I agree it makes for good press and shows that a leader has good insight and respect for fellow citizens when he/she "roughs" it without complaining. You sense some are naturally better at this than others (eg the Ugandan PM, although you would probably want to know a little more about him than that anecdote before making up your mind about his character). Carr obviously doesn't feel the need to pretend to be one of the common people. He's the former premier of the country's most populous state, never lost an election and was parachuted into one of the most important Government ministries to do a job. He is from the Keating mold in the sense that he admires high culture and is narcissistic. I don't personally like his attitude. However, I think if he wants to fly F when representing Australia as foreign minister, the country can afford to stump up for it. Just my opinion. Obviously whoever writes the Government's travel policy doesn't agree and nor do many punters. It's all good -- he'll get over it, I'm sure laying it all out in the diary before meditating, smashing down an organic grain fed steak and heading to the gym for some power sets made it all better. Bob Carr's diary reveals a true satirist - The Drum (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
Click on this linked quiz to guess which quotes belong to Bob and which to Patrick Bateman, of American Psycho. http://www.theguardian.com/world/quiz/2014/apr/10/bob-carr-patrick-bateman-quiz?CMP=twt_gu