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Labor politicians in Wagga Wagga have launched a petition to rally support for Rex as its administration continues.
Labor NSW MLC Stephen Lawrence joined Mark Jeffreson, the party’s candidate for Riverina, to collect signatures at Wagga Wagga Airport, one of Rex’s major bases. The petition follows the start of a new private sale process for the airline last month.
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Speaking to media at the airport, Lawrence noted that the Albanese government indicated it would look into nationalising the airline should a private sale not occur.
“The Labor Government wants to keep Rex in the air, but if a private buyer can’t be found, then the Labor Government will consider a public buyout,” he said.
“Mark and I have been here this morning at Wagga airport, launching the petition, and in fact, we already took the opportunity to go around and get signatures, and I think we got one knock back out of about 30 or 40 people.
“What that demonstrates to me is that the travelling public understand the critical importance of not letting Rex fail. Rex can’t fail, because the travelling public know what that will mean if Rex fails.”
According to Jeffreson, the petition had already attracted “lots of signatures”, with the campaign to progress to doorknocking, phone banking, and an online version.
“Our petition is designed to let everybody know how keen the regions are to keep Rex in the air. There’s a lot of discussion about whether they should or whether they shouldn’t. We’re pretty committed to keeping them in the air. It’s a policy to keep them in the air,” he said.
“We want to get as many names and many voices as we can, to get everyone to be aware that we have to keep Rex going.
“To have no competitive tension here in Wagga or in many of the other regional airports, would be pretty devastating for the travelling public, be they citizens or be they business people, commercial travellers, whatever it is. Not having any competitive tension is going to be no good for the regions.”
The potential nationalisation of Rex, which comes after $80 million in federal funding and the government’s purchase of $50 million in Rex debt from financier PAG, means the airline could become the first to be owned by an Australian government since Qantas was privatised in the 1990s.
Rex entered voluntary administration at the end of July last year, with estimates that it owed around $500 million to 4,800 creditors after its failed venture into competing with Qantas Group and Virgin Australia on domestic jet operations.
The government has since propped up the ailing carrier, including by guaranteeing its regional bookings and preserving its slots at Sydney Airport, but no buyers have thus far emerged.
EY Australia has sold aeromedical division Pel-Air to Japan-owned Toll Aviation and was in November reportedly looking to sell Rex’s flight school in Wagga Wagga.
