Committee recommends Qantas bill

Proposed changes to the Qantas Sale Act will not mean the inevitable loss of Australian jobs, nor compromise the airline's safety standards, a parliamentary committee says.

The Economics Legislation Committee has recommended parliament pass the bill to amend the act.

The committee shared community concerns about the 5000 job losses already announced by Qantas, but said shifting ownership regulations won't necessarily cost more jobs.

"The committee is not convinced that there is an inevitable link between higher levels of foreign ownership and the ratio of local to foreign jobs," its report says.

Labor and the Australian Greens dissented from the committee's view, with the former insisting that significant job losses will follow if proposed changes to the act proceed.

The committee received submissions which raised safety concerns, as maintenance work may be shifted offshore to take advantage of lower costs.

But it was noted the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) sets the maintenance standards for Australian airlines and the committee had "high" confidence in CASA's work and enforcement of standards.

The Abbott government has introduced amendments to the act which would enable the airline to take on majority foreign ownership, and tap overseas capital, for the first time since it was privatised in 1992.

The Greens said there was compelling evidence to suggest poor management decisions had led to Qantas's current financial position.

Committee member, Independent senator Nick Xenophon, also said the bill should not be passed, adding "Qantas is in a crisis largely of its own making".