McKenzie said the report had provided a balanced reflection of the extensive evidence raised during the inquiry,adding:“The committee expressed its deep concern at the appalling and unacceptable incident that occurred at Hamad International Airport in October 2020.”
Loading
She said Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade officials had informed the committee that the Qatari government had prosecuted those responsible,had apologised and repeatedly assured such an incident would not happen again,while Qatar Airways executives at the inquiry said the Australian government hadn’t raised it as a relevant concern.
Anna said the women agreed with the dissenting report from government senators Tony Sheldon and Linda White,who defended King’s decision as being in the national interest,particularly in light of the women’s 2020 experience.
Sheldon said Coalition senators should take heed of the experience of two Qatar Airways cabin crew,whose deportation in June was facilitated by the airline after police allegedly questioned them about their sexuality. Homosexual relations are illegal in Qatar.
Gilbert Ignatius and his flight crew colleague,who has asked not to be named,said they felt violated and traumatised after being stopped and interrogated by police for wearing tinted moisturiser during a night out in Doha in May,before they were grounded by the airline and deported three weeks later.
Former Qatar Airways flight attendant Gilbert Ignatius was deported from Doha,along with his colleague,in June.Credit:Arsineh Houspian
“These latest allegations against Qatar Airways need a full,earnest response from the airline,and the Liberals and Nationals. If this was to occur here in Australia,or many other countries in the world,there’d be an almighty outcry for justice,” Sheldon said.
Ignatius,an Indonesian man who has studied in Australia and now works for Jetstar,described the ordeal as “a horrific experience”.
“I cannot imagine that a birthday dinner with my friends resulted in me having a mugshot picture taken in a detention centre,” he said.
According to a source with knowledge of the incident but not authorised to speak on the record,Qatar’s Ministry of the Interior ordered the deportation of the men without reason,and the airline was obliged to comply without asking why.
Loading
A spokesperson for Qatar Airways said the carrier was “required to facilitate travel arrangements for individuals who no longer hold residency rights to remain in a particular country”.
In 2015,the airline reacted to public pressure by relaxing a policy banning them from falling pregnant within their first five years at the carrier,changing it to allow them to apply for ground crew positions.
Sheldon accused the airline of making “glacial advances” in labour standards since 2015,and said Qatar Airways needed to do a lot more to win the trust of the travelling public “who value basic human rights”.
Asecond Senate inquiry has been slated to enable former Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce,and potentially King,to be called.
Damian Sturzaker,partner of Marque Lawyers,which is representing the victims of the 2020 incident,said Qatar Airways chief executive Akbar Al Baker should appear,and the committee should apply a greater focus on human rights issues.
Every Friday,Please Explain’s expert panel brings you analysis and the inside take on the big political issues of the week.Subscribe here.