Today's guest is Joe Aston, Rear Window columnist at the AFR for 12 years and the author of The Chairman's Lounge: The Inside Story of How Qantas Sold Us Out. Joe's book tour will go down as one of the most successful in the history of Australian business book. It has caused weeks of headaches for the Prime Minister and has seen a number of nervous politicians declare flight upgrades and other benefits from Australia's major airlines. In today's episode we wanted to go beyond the Qantas story and unpack Joe's view on Australia's corporate culture and how large listed companies can do better. We unpack: The cosy relationship between business media and Australia's large companies Joe's most memorable columns from his time at the AFRThe Qantas story and why everyday Australians should care The relationships Joe has witnessed between politicians and large companies The lack of oversight from boards of many large Australian companies How everyday investors can look for misaligned incentives and poor oversight Whether, in Joe's opinion, Qantas is a buy, hold or sell? —------ Want to get involved in the podcast? Record a voice note or send us a message on our website and we'll play it on the podcast. —------ Sign up to our daily news email to get the news moving markets delivered to your inbox at 6am every weekday morning. Short, sharp, to the point, it'll get you up to speed in less than 5 minutes. —------ Want more Equity Mates? Sign up to our email to keep up with business news Listen to our basics-of-investing podcast: Get Started Investing (Apple | Spotify)Watch Equity Mates on YouTube —------ In the spirit of reconciliation, Equity Mates Media and the hosts of Equity Mates Investing acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people today.  —------ Equity Mates Investing is a product of Equity Mates Media.  This podcast is intended for education and entertainment purposes. Any advice is general advice only, and has not taken into account your personal financial circumstances, needs or objectives. Before acting on general advice, you should consider if it is relevant to your needs and read the relevant Product Disclosure Statement. And if you are unsure, please speak to a financial professional.  Equity Mates Media operates under Australian Financial Services Licence 540697. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.