LABOR has been taken to task by the government for questioning whether allowing Qantas to send its maintenance operations offshore will lead to safety problems.
The new line of attack came as laws to remove the 49 per cent cap on foreign ownership of the airline passed the House of Representatives within four hours of being introduced.
Transport Minister Warren Truss introduced the amendment to the Qantas Sale Act on Thursday morning.
"This bill means Qantas will no longer compete at a competitive disadvantage," Mr Truss said.
But in a surprise move, rather than let the legislation routinely sit on the table for a week or more, Labor successfully moved for it to be brought on for debate immediately.
Leader of the House Christopher Pyne then fast-tracked the debate and, after some delaying tactics by the opposition and a speech by Opposition Leader Bill Shorten, it was put to a vote which the government won 83-53.
"It's taken 94 years to build Qantas, it's taken the Abbott government 94 minutes to tear Qantas down. Shame," Mr Shorten told parliament.
The opposition later asked the government whether it had conducted a risk analysis of allowing Qantas - considered one of the world's safest airlines - to move its maintenance operations offshore.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott said Qantas' safety record did not depend on whether or not it was foreign-owned.
"It's reckless of the leader of the opposition to suggest it does," Mr Abbott said.
Independent MP Bob Katter weighed into the debate, asking how a "cut-rate, cheap-jack, overseas-based workforce" could be trusted to keep Qantas aircraft safe.
Mr Truss said the government was talking to the Civil Aviation Safety Authority about the airline's plan to cut 5000 staff over three years to save $2 billion in costs.
The minister told parliament the government would not be changing the Air Navigation Act, which would ensure Qantas' international operations would need to remain majority Australian-owned and based onshore.
The legislation is expected to fail in the Senate, with Labor and the Greens opposing it.
The Senate on Thursday set up two inquiries - one to examine the bill and a second to hear from Qantas executives, workers and the government on what initiatives the government could take to ensure the airline remains a strong national carrier.
Both inquiries will report later this month.
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