Entry of Ansett

Press, 29 August 1986, Page 20

Entry of Ansett

Sir, —While the Minister of Tourism, Mr Moore, thinks that Ansett Airlines competing in New Zealand would be a better deal for travellers - (August 26), Ansett Airlines does not condone similar competition in its own home territory, Australia. Ansett has begun action in the Australian Federal Court to prevent East West Airlines commencing services over the six -new ' f *

Queensland routes for which it, East West Airlines, has received federal and state licences, stating that this would threaten the viability of the Australian airline industry. In an effort to stifle East West’s expansion programme, Ansett is seeking an injunction to prevent East West from using Commonwealthowned airports at Brisbane and Mackay and flying between Brisbane and Cairns. Ansett Airlines must be delighted to find our Government so gullible—Yours, etc., KATHRYN McKECHIE. August 26, 1986. Sir, — G. B. Tulloch (August 26) complained that Mr Mike Moore did himself no credit by smoke-screening Ansett’s entry to New Zealand, only to receive a still more foggy reply from the Minister. Mr Moore now asks us to consider car and insurance companies, by way of comparison with Air New Zealand’s position, although there is not any valid comparison. I wonder why Mr Moore did not make the incomparably more relevant analogy with municipal bus services? How many cities in the world can he name that allow competition in this transport field? Competition is, of course, in most cases extremely important. In some instances however, it is not practicable and efficiency is then best ensured by audit procedures. Taken to its logical conclusions, the present Government might eventually consider rival sewerage systems. — Yours, etc., R. G. ISON. August 27, 1986.