"How dare this Irish expatriate bring his Irish republicanism across to this country?"

After Alan Joyce has reduced Qantas from a world wide operating airline to a regional flight service enterprise, he is set to grant his skills to the republican movement.

Philip Benwell, Chairman of the Australian Monarchist League, commented Mr. Joyce's decision in a media release that is republished below:


So the twelve million dollar ($12M) a year Irish CEO of Qantas, Alan Joyce, has joined the Republican Movement (AFR 4/11/15). He doesn’t explain why he doesn’t support our system of constitutional monarchy which provided the constitutional security and political stability to enable him to make his fortune, only that his ear was chewed off by Peter FitzSimon’s: “Fitzy just kept asking and asking, so the easiest thing for me to do was to say yes.” Worse, this millionaire of millionaires insulted monarchist Catholics and monarchists of Irish descent by excusing himself by saying: “Mind you, I'm a Catholic from the south of Ireland, so it was a pretty simple choice.”

How dare this Irish expatriate bring his Irish republicanism across to this country. As our Prime Minister has said: “It is not compulsory to live in Australia. If you find Australian values, you know, unpalatable, then there’s a big wide world out there and people have got freedom of movement.”

I have been a Qantas member for over 25 years, but no more. Unlike the elitist republicans, Alan Joyce and Peter FitzSimon’s, when I visit our branches or travel Interstate on speaking engagements, like most of us, I squeeze myself into the economy seats. Unlike these republicans, no exclusive Qantas Chairman’s Lounge or business class travel for me. And yet we are the ones who are called elitist as though it is some sort of derogatory word when referring to monarchists, but obviously never to these republicans!

I say that we should object to our Australian airline being used to support republicans, whether directly or indirectly. Please contact Qantas and demand the resignation of the Catholic Irish Republican Mr Joyce.

Even though I might miss seeing the red rag on top of Mr FitzSimon’s head in the far distant ‘pointy end’ of a Qantas plane, from now on, I will be flying Virgin in future and I suggest that monarchists do likewise. Let us vote with our feet and reject the sectarianism and republicanism of the Qantas Chief Executive Officer.

Mr Joyce can be contacted as follows:

Mr Alan Joyce
Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer
Qantas Campus
10 Burke Road
Mascot NSW 2020
T: 02 9691 3636
F: 02 9691 3510

Yours sincerely,

Philip Benwell
National Chair
Australian Monarchist League