Qantas CEO to sue pie-attacker

After being slammed in the face with a pie (lemon meringue, if you were wondering), Qantas CEO Alan Joyce is suing the man responsible.

Joyce was three-minutes into addressing a crowd of about 500 people at a Hyatt business breakfast when 67-year-old Tony Overheu casually pushed the pie into poor Joycey’s face.

Speaking to 6PR’s breakfast show, it appears the man is opposed to same-sex marriage and companies like Qantas who openly support it, claiming its not accepting of Australian democracy.

So Joyce is going to sue Overheu in order to send a message that this type of behaiviour is not OK – and to make it loud and clear that Qantas’ support of marriage equality isn’t going anywhere.

In a statement at Parliament House, per the ABC, Joyce said, “The police are continuing their investigation and my intention is to send a message that this type of behaviour isn’t acceptable and that I will have every intention of pressing charges.

“I have every intention to continue to be vocal on those social and community issues.

“It’s important for our shareholders, our employees, and our customers. It’s called good corporate social responsibility.

“I’m a big believer in the great Australian expression a fair government it’s all about giving people equality.

“Qantas has always spoken up on gender issues, on LGBTI issues, on Indigenous issues and we will continue to do so and no attempt at bullying us into suppressing our voice will work.”

Joyce added, per the ABC, that Overheu showed no remorse, despite sending an apology email.

“I believe he sent me an email … and I believe there has been an apology coming in but I’m not sure there’s any regret at the issue that has occurred.”

Overheu, a Perth suburb local, said he was opposed to Qantas’ campaign in favour of same-sex marriage and wanted to make a statement.

“On the west coast, there’s very limited opportunity to have connection with national figures,” he said.

“From my reading, it would appear that Alan Joyce is very much part of a network trying to subvert the federal parliamentary process around the issue of marriage equality.”

Overheu added that Joyce was a “top operator”, but felt Joyce was “bulldozing” middle Australia, per the ABC.

In March, Joyce was one of 20 high-profile chief executives, including the heads of Westpac and Commonwealth Bank, who urged Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to legislate same-sex marriage. Joyce has also famously directed Qantas to publicly support certain progressive causes, including marriage equality.

“Alan Joyce is a very active individual in this process [towards marriage equality] and in that context he was appropriate [to target],” Overheu said, per ABC.

“I’ve never done that sort of thing, I’m a law-abiding person, but I think this is part of inevitable pushback.”

But according to the Daily Mail, his wife is none too happy about the legal charges on account of his actions.

“I had naively believed I could walk out the same way I came, but I was apprehended and now it’s a matter for the state police and assault,” he said, per the publication.

“My family is outraged, my wife is in uproar. I sent a letter this morning to Mr Joyce, the hotel and Curtain University apologising unreservedly for any insult or injury due to my actions.”

Just another day in the airline business.

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Latest comments

John McDonald says:
May 11, 2017 at 1:09 pm
joyce should forget it or tell the guy to make a donation to charity, preferably not some gay charity. Keeping it going simply highlights all the problems at Qantas & there are many.
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