Standoff on future direction of Qantas shows no sign of resolution
Speaking in Sydney on Wednesday, Mr Joyce said Mr Dixon's conflict of interest remained because the "issues were broader in terms of ambitions in what was going to happen in relation to Qantas".
Mr Joyce has demanded Mr Dixon step aside as chairman of Tourism Australia or dissociate himself from the group of high-profile investors who had been agitating for a change in strategic direction at Qantas.
The airline has made clear that it will ditch funding for Tourism Australia after June unless the group states publicly that it has given up on attempts to undermine Qantas' management.
Mr Joyce said he would not comment on who was on Qantas' share register but "as far as I was concerned, the conflict didn't relate just to the shareholding. There's a number of ways the conflict could be resolved and it is up to the people involved in it to resolve that conflict."
Apart from Mr Dixon, the group of dissident Qantas shareholders included financier Mark Carnegie, former Qantas executive Peter Gregg and adman John Singleton.
The consortium last month sold down a 1.5 per cent stake in Qantas for a tidy profit.
As part of an agreement, each member of the group was required to sell his holdings after a decision was made to take the profits made since they bought in soon after Qantas shares reached a low of 97¢ in June.
Tourism Australia's chief executive, Andrew McEvoy, attended the lunch at which Mr Joyce was the guest speaker on Wednesday but declined to comment.
The peak body's board has backed its chairman in the bitter feud between the pair. Mr Dixon also declined to comment.
The impasse comes as Mr Joyce warned that business will have to become accustomed to a high Australian dollar.
Coining the phrase the "normal Australian dollar", he said Qantas was counting on the currency remaining high for the foreseeable future, and business had to ensure that strategies were "robust enough" to cope.
"You have to plan on that. Our ideal is that the dollar would be around US70¢ to US80¢. It would make a big difference to the economics, but you can't count on it," he said.
Despite the problems besetting Boeing's 787 Dreamliner aircraft, Qantas has not been informed by the US manufacturer Boeing of any delays to the delivery of its first 787.
Qantas' budget offshoot, Jetstar, is scheduled to take the keys to the group's first 787 in August.
"We do have contingencies if there are further delays in the aircraft," Mr Joyce said.
Frequently Asked Questions about this Article…
The standoff is a public dispute between Qantas CEO Alan Joyce and former Qantas mentor Geoff Dixon. Joyce says Dixon has a conflict of interest tied to broader ambitions around Qantas and has demanded Dixon either step aside as chairman of Tourism Australia or dissociate from a group of investors who sought changes at Qantas.
According to Alan Joyce, the conflict could be resolved in a number of ways including Dixon stepping aside from his Tourism Australia role, publicly dissociating from the investor group, or through changes in shareholdings. Joyce also said it is up to the people involved to resolve the conflict.
Qantas has warned it will stop funding Tourism Australia after June unless the organisation publicly states it has given up attempts to undermine Qantas management. Tourism Australia's board has backed its chairman Geoff Dixon, and Tourism Australia declined to comment at the event where Joyce spoke.
The dissident group included Geoff Dixon, financier Mark Carnegie, former Qantas executive Peter Gregg, and adman John Singleton. The consortium sold down a combined 1.5% stake in Qantas recently, taking profits after buying in when Qantas shares hit a low of 97 cents in June.
The dispute highlights corporate governance tensions and strategic uncertainty, which can affect investor sentiment. Everyday investors should watch for official company updates, any changes in major shareholders or board positions, and whether Qantas follows through on funding or other actions tied to the disagreement.
Alan Joyce said businesses need to get used to a relatively high Australian dollar, describing it as the new normal. He suggested Qantas is planning on a stronger currency environment and would prefer the dollar around US70 to US80 cents but said strategies must be robust because that level cannot be guaranteed.
Despite issues affecting Boeing's 787 Dreamliner program, Qantas says Boeing has not informed it of any delay to the delivery of the airline group's first 787. Jetstar, Qantas' budget offshoot, is scheduled to take the group's first 787 in August, and Qantas says it has contingencies in case of further delays.
Alan Joyce declined to comment on who was on Qantas' share register, noting that the conflict did not just relate to shareholdings. He emphasised there are multiple ways the conflict could be addressed and left resolution to those involved.
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