The Australian government instigated the sale of a portion of the company to British Airways but the only way any portion of Qantas was government owned was after the amalgamation with Australian Airlines, which they owned. And you can rip on Keating for that, but he also ensured that Qantas would be permanently majority Australian owned.

You seem to be strugling with the difference between being publicly owned (ie listed on the stock exchange) and government owned (ie not listed on the stock exchange).

More fundamental flaws in batfink's comprehension of english.

so in 1993 when keating sold 25% to british airlines what was that?????

Just because they owned it. The government instigates sales of companies to foreign investment all the time.