So; ministerial imperative to be re elected, once again, rides rough shod over industry demands, Senate Inquiry and recommendations made in the opublic interest. Political expediency outweighs empirical evidence and the boat of state sails on, disregarding the survivors and wreckage left in the wake of the mayhem they caused. Carmody will not spare a backward glance; let alone throw a couple of life belts over the rails. We are now to believe that after ‘scouring’ the world to find a new director for CASA, the new blood bringing hope and reform was just two office doors away – working for the government, right there in Canberra; I can hardly credit the coincidence. Fan-bloody-tastic.
Even without holding the ‘official’ title; we have all seen the Carmody stonewall, rock solid defence of departmental indifference. Now with the title officially bestowed on a bulwark of the public service, we can expect to see regression rather than progress. Defence of system rather than reform and total denial of there being past problems. The ASRR now being trapped within the public service system will, eventually emerge as a pale, wan shadow of it’s former robust self. The Senators will be told, oh so politely, to bugger off and eventually tire of trying to beat down the rock solid defences of the bureaucratic stone walls.
What is the fool raging about you ask; well, I shall try in my clumsy, undiplomatic way to explain. But first – homework. This particular case, IMO perfectly highlights one of the major and several minor reasons why reform of the regulator and the regulations (in that order) must happen; paradoxically, it also clearly defines why that reform will not; nay, cannot happen. The AAT case is – HERE.
It is highly unlikely; a 40/1 shot, that Carmody is even aware of this dreadful parody of ‘safety’ let alone understand the nuances. The chances of him actually reaching back into the past and seeing the gross anomalies at work are on my tote board @ 199/1. I will quite happily offer 1000/1 odds against him actually doing anything about correcting the ‘wrong’ approach to operational safety demonstrated. The trivial misdemeanours of recalcitrant helicopter pilots are way below his pay grade; and, the subtleties of a monstrous misuse of the ‘rules’ beyond his hidebound thinking mechanism.
Nevertheless; at the request of the BRB; I shall try to deliver the reform message.
For so many reasons the whole approach to a ‘safety’ issue has been perverted; made a nonsense. No improvement has been gained from the expenditure. The best CASA can hope for is that the paperwork will be filled out; that is the battle ground. What occurs in reality will bear little resemblance to that; but, so long as the paper trail is good – all will be well. My notes follow directly. Just skimming through them, they probably seem to lack depth enough for Carmody – but to any thinking aviation person the message should be clear enough
Aye well, I doubt the stone idols will be moved by pleas for sanity, let alone real reform. However as ranging shot, the case will suffice; for now. See we shall.
Toot – game on – toot.
