Joyce’s Choice: shifting jobs offshore. If you want to discover how Alan Joyce and Qantas can shift jobs offshore — with the blessing of Fair Work Australia — you need look no further than New Zealand operator Jetconnect. Jetconnect was set up in 2001 as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Qantas to run domestic air services in New Zealand under the Qantas flag. Naturally, it employed local pilots and staff on local rates, 30% to 40% below Australian awards.

In 2003, it began flying “a small number” of Qantas services on the trans Tasman route. As Fair Work Australia explained in its September judgement, passengers would not have seen any difference, because the pilots and staff were trained by Qantas, they were wearing Qantas uniforms and Qantas ID numbers, and the planes had Qantas livery. — Paul Barry (read the full story here)

Hooke takes on Twiggy’s mining tax claims. Minerals Council of Australia CEO Mitch Hooke has hit out at Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest’s claim that the mining tax, due to be debated in parliament today, will unfairly punish the nation’s smaller miners. Independent MP Andrew Wilkie – who has previously expressed sympathy for Forrest’s concerns – will discuss the tax with the Perth mining boss in Canberra today before a meeting with Treasurer Wayne Swan. Given Bob Katter and Tony Crook are almost certain to vote against the tax, the government needs Wilkie’s support to pass its legislation.

“The idea that this is discriminatory towards the small guys is just wrong,” Hooke told The Power Index in an interview last week. “Over our dead bodies would we tick off on something that’s discriminatory towards the smaller miners.” — Matthew Knott (read the full story here)

Are Australians really this powerless? The 70 most powerful people in the world have been revealed — and not a single Australian has made the grade. That is, unless you count Rupert Murdoch.

The Aussie-born media mogul, now a US citizen, slipped in at number 24. The latest list of the world’s most powerful people has been published by Forbes magazine. — Lucy Clark (read the full story here)