Tethered goat or spring lamb?
Staib was, shall we say, disappointing. Even with Hood to assist, the lady never really stood a fighting chance and Houston, who must know where the skeletons are buried, did not really openly weigh in to support his long time colleague. If you go back over the estimates recordings – carefully, you can see that Houston’s wee lamb was surrounded by voracious wolves, left overs from the previous dynasty; it’s all there, courtesy of the Parliamentary CCTV broadcast.
Anyone who believed, even remotely, that ‘courage badges’ and fantasy posters could solve the deep, intricate problems within the ASA was not the person to resolve the real problems. Now the circuit breakers are tripping, the overload IMO is coming from the Estimates committee, generating too much current. Gods alone how much ‘hard’ evidence the committee have collected under privilege; rumour has it at significant levels. Here again, the only real insight ‘we’ can have is provided through the Estimate’s recordings.
Did Staib ever stand a fighting chance? Will the real miscreants ever be shown the door or prosecuted? My guess is we’ll never see it. If the cleaner is put through the organisation, it will be reflected in well spaced resignations and seat shuffling, the best indication being an unexplained boost to the morale of our ATCO.
Watch and see what happens, who does what, to whom and who paid for the room at the Nevertell hotel. The other interesting angle to this is the communication chain between upper ‘military’ connections; when they decide a scandal – any scandal – is to be hushed it’s a fair bet that silence will prevail, if you add a few nervy well connected legal types to the stew it all starts to make a little sense. Of course we are not privy to all the details, but a squealer may just know enough to ensure an adequate supply of soft white paper and TV channel choice.
Quote:Canberra Times:
A senior Airservices Australia manager has been sentenced to four years imprisonment for using fake aviation companies and false documents to defraud the tax office of more than $320,000.
Did Houston know or care what went on during his watch? Well children, that you must decide for yourselves.
PLEASE: whoever takes over the Love Boat (A Sorry Affair) just get rid of that infantile, fantasy poster, collect then destroy every courage badge on the continent and stop the all expenses paid holidays to Paris or Las Vegas; then we can put this disgraceful period behind us and get back to airspace management; before someone gets hurt. Start with the buggers muddle known as Melbourne.