[Kharon]

Murphy and the rule of irony.

I picked this of the ABC news – made me smile; it also brings home just how mankind's puny efforts can be so easily undone – for the sake of a nail etc.

ABC - "There was some damage caused by the guttering and the roof overflowing, and collapsing a small part of the ceiling," he said. "It was caused by a footy ball stuck in the guttering."

Engineers, architects, 'safety' departments, builders the whole lot, involved in constructing the 'safest' possible buildings, designed to withstand the ravages of a cyclone – buggered by a stray football in a gutter. Makes you wonder though - don't it.  Aye. "Man proposes, Murphy disposes" (P7's version).

Toot – toot.

[Peetwo]

He's BACK?? - If he ever really went anywhere...  

Caught this snippet from Andrew Hastie MP off Facebook:

 Senator David Fawcett is a former army officer and test pilot who serves with me on the intelligence and security committee.

His carefully considered views are an important contribution to this debate.

Senator Fawcett, writing for the weekend Oz, eloquently uses the analogy of comparing international aviation accident processes and philosophy (ie ICAO Annex 13) with the current farcical situation we have, where the Chinese Communist Party appears to be dictating the ToR for an upcoming international inquiry into the COVID-19 pandemic - FDS! 

China’s ‘tank man’ stood for transparency

DAVID FAWCETT

12:00AM MAY 22, 2020
76 COMMENTS


Illustration: Eric Lobbecke
When the Boeing 737 MAX 8 of Ethiopian Airlines crashed on March 10 last year, China was quick out of the blocks to demand that airlines ground the jet. The Civil Aviation Administration of China sent technical experts to engage with the multinational team investigating the causes of the disaster, and China’s three main airlines have led calls for Boeing to compensate them for losses due to the grounding.

Aviation accident investigation is an exemplar of international collaboration following a disaster, as nations seek to work constructively to understand the cause and ensure it does not happen again. When we are all exposed to a risk, transparency and co-operation are held up as universally accepted norms that benefit China as much as any other nation.

This desire to protect the safety and rights of the individual who may suffer adverse outcomes is demonstrably not just a Western value. In fact Chinese diplomat Pengchun Chang, who played a pivotal role in enshrining individual rights in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, drafted what he identified as exemplars of traditional Chinese Confucian thought and culture such as “ren”, or benevolence towards the individual. These values have been demonstrated by the Chinese people throughout history, most recently by the people of Hong Kong but also on mainland China.

 As we approach the anniver­sary of the Tiananmen Square massacre, it is a reminder that the Chinese people and their traditional culture value transparency, the ability of an individual to express a view and accountability from their leaders. For citizens who advocate these values, it has been a hard road since 1949 when the Communist Party took power.

As the relentless pursuit of Marxist policies by Mao Zedong, the first chairman of the Communist Party of China, led to the death of many of his own people by starvation and violence, the titular head of state in the 1960s, Liu Shaoqi, increasingly objected. Conservative estimates suggest that between 30 million and 45 million people died, yet Mao’s response was to brand Liu a traitor and a capitalist, having him arrested and tortured until his death.

After Mao’s own death in 1976, hope of reform gradually grew in China. As the Cold War came to an end, the Chinese people called more openly for economic and political reforms, including transparency and free speech.
In 1989, the democracy movement grew in size and influence across hundreds of cities in China. Students, scientists, doctors, peasants and even some members of the military participated in gatherings and protests.
In its response, the Chinese Communist Party showed none of the benevolence so ably championed by Chang.

This anniversary marks 31 years since the ironically named People’s Liberation Army was deployed in Beijing to end the reform movement.

To the shock of the Chinese people and the wider world, on the night of June 4, 1989, president Deng Xiaoping ordered tanks and combat troops to clear the protesters from Tiananmen Square. The full death toll of this atrocity will never be known.

The official figure is in the hundreds but witness accounts point to more than 1000 civilians being killed in and around Tiananmen Square, thousands more injured, and even more arbitrarily arrested throughout China in the aftermath of the massacre.

In the days after the army stormed the square and took control of the city, the outrage at what had just occurred was epitomised by a lone Chinese man. Shopping bags in hand, “tank man” stood directly in front of tanks, blocking their movement around Tiananmen Square. The photograph of him standing in nonviolent protest, bringing a column of tanks to a halt, is a scene now famous everywhere except in China, where the truth of the 1989 massacre is suppressed. Nobody has ever established his identity or his fate, but he represents the millions of Chinese citizens who want freedom of speech and accountability from their government.

The courage demonstrated by this man is still prevalent in China today. Li Wenliang, a brave doctor in Wuhan, alerted colleagues to the dangers of an emerging disease we now know as COVID-19. Li was hauled before police and threatened by officials when his concerns became public. Days later, when he tragically died after contracting the coronavirus, the Communist Party even tried to censor news of his death.

Acclaimed writer Fang Fang courageously defied official censors, attacks by organised internet trolls and labels of being a traitor to keep and eventually publish online a record she called Wuhan Diary: Dispatches from a Quarantined City.

She writes: “If we don’t investigate who was responsible for such a massive incident, I wonder how the government can ever face its people … For some reason, even up until today, not a single official in Hubei has resigned. I guess they know how to play the game.”

The unfolding disaster that Fang documented now has resulted in the death of hundreds of thousands of people around the world. Just as we do following an aircraft accident, an independent and transparent review to understand how the pandemic happened is imperative to ensure such a catastrophic outbreak never happens again. Support for such a review is welcome.

Chang, Liu, “tank man”, Li, Fang and many other brave — and not forgotten — Chinese citizens bear witness to the fact this call for transparency and freedom for people to speak the truth is not an attack on China and its people.

It is an opportunity for Beijing to engage with the world community, in accordance with established global norms, as a constructive partner.

Senator David Fawcett chairs the parliamentary joint standing committee on foreign affairs, defence and trade, which is inquiring into the pandemic’s strategic implications. Before politics, he served as an army officer and experimental test pilot.

   

MTF...P2 

[Peetwo]

Ref: https://auntypru.com/sbg-07-06-20-of-the...-sandwich/

Speaking of Swiss Cheese - 

Via Sentry One Pty Ltd on FB, spot the parallels...  

HOW MORRISON'S MEDIA PLAYED THE VETERANS OF AUSTRALIA

Dr Daniel J Mealey Bach Biomed Sci, MBBS (Melb) ACEM (Cert), Afghanistan veteran

The “Swiss Cheese” paradigm is a constructed, analytical and investigative model of a specific accident or unwanted emergence, illustrating that when specific holes or cracks align, harm is caused to either or both an organisation and the general public.

No organisational system is perfect, and cracks will always appear. However the willingness of an organisation to address its systemic cracks (or its recalcitrance to do so) defines its ethical, moral and legal integrity.

This article is a reflection upon the “Swiss Cheese” paradigm that permitted the demise of a 'Royal Commission into Veteran Suicide.'

In 2019, at least upon first glance the Daily Telegraph illustrated the capacity of media to influence major political reform. Adella Beaini was permitted journalistic freedom in telling the stories of deceased veterans from the perspective of maternal grief.

At the close of 2019, the newspaper held a “Save our Heroes Summit” upon the hallowed grounds of NSW Parliament House, the location of which provided in its own right an emphatic level of impetus behind an apparent push for a Royal Commission.

Key speakers notwithstanding Ben Roberts-Smith VC, mothers of deceased veterans and representatives from RSL, military, political and medical worlds (including the author of this article) met with the intent of a firm and bipartisan resolution to construct an external, transparent, introspective, retrospective and exhaustive “Swiss Cheese” investigation into the many causes of the veteran suicide devastation.

Most commentators agreed that only a “Royal” Commission might achieve this kind of investigation, and yet, within the space of a financial quarter a suboptimal, untested and unprincipled "Commission” was announced by Prime Minister Scott Morrison,

Many who had previously taken a tenacious position on the matter, joined in a national celebration of an outright antithetical replacement of the Royal Commission. Upon the proximity of receiving the golden apple of justice, Morrison handed the nation a banana, and the nation seemingly could not discern the difference.

Why?

The “Save our Heroes Summit” was postured as a pro-Royal Commission event sponsored by the Daily Telegraph, Sky News Australia and Channel 7.

Ben Roberts-Smith VC was permitted very much air time projecting poor transitional services upon exit from Australian Defence Force as being a pivotal predictor of veteran suicide, as well as a failure of ADF leadership to exhibit 2020 societal expectation of corporate responsibility. Ben Roberts-Smith VC is the General Manager of free-to-air television Seven Brisbane.

The Seven Network (commonly known as Channel 7) is one of few major, commercial free-to-air television stations in Australia. It is owned by Seven West Media. Seven West Media (SWM) is an ASX- listed media conglomerate that owns The West Australian, The Sunday Times, Community Newspaper Group and has a 50% Share in Yahoo!7.

The Daily Telegraph is an Australian tabloid published by
Nationwide News Limited, a division of NewsCorp Australia
the parent of which is Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp, which also owns Sky News.

Kerry Stokes (like Rupert Murdoch) is invested as a Companion in the General Division of Order of Australia (AC) and is the Chairman of the Seven network, of which he has acquired a 43% share. He also has acquired a 33% share in Sky News.

Murdoch’s media owns approximately 70% of Australia’s printed media, and his self-interested interference in Australian politics can be easily identified by recent demonstrable Australian political decisions such as those that led to the demise of the NBN.

Foxtel’s dominance in the home-entertainment market predicted a boom in the Netflix competition. The Liberal Party’s incestuous relationship with Murdoch has resulted in Australia’s broadband service becoming the butt of international jocularity.

With noticeably slower broadband than that which is provided in some developing countries, the productivity of the nation has been compromised, with a concomitant erosion in the reliability and integrity of the Liberal Party… and to what end ? A suboptimal Foxtel product with ever-decreasing consumer relevance?

And the Packer enterprise is no better. In 2015, the The Packer Foundation and Crown conglomerate donated millions of dollars to St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney. St Vincent’s Emergency Department Head, Dr Gordian Fulde, whose “Kings Cross ER “television program (funded by Packer) grossly and unethically exaggerated the incidence of a “King Hit” phenomenon in Sydney.

As a consequence, the “lock-out” laws were borne forcing the death of a vibrant night-life in Sydney …except of course the Packer family-owned Sydney Crown Casino which is not only exempt from lock-out laws, it was granted 24/7 operability.

The cost in productivity from unemployment and university drop-outs consequent to young Australians once financially supported with hospitality jobs, remains entirely un-calculated simply because we do not have a media that permits the expression of journalistic integrity to tell the story.

Clearly we have arrived at a most unfortunate situation in which Murdoch and Packer Foundation can so easily commandeer Australian legislation and judiciary to ensure an obscene hoarded personal wealth for themselves, and to do so with justice blindfolded to the criminality at play.

When legislation and judicial process pertaining to veterans is obfuscated (and the cancellation of a major platform of Royal judicial investigation of thousands of deaths is as obfuscatory as it gets), this feeds a sadistic soldier-crunching machine that has neither an internal nor an external mechanism of scrutiny.

Over decades, rather than addressing the need for major organisational reform, successive leaders of the Australian Defence Force have labelled all veterans distressed as a consequence of defective administration, and from all forms of physical and psychological injury as “malingerers,” “weak,” and “lacking in resilience.”

A national obsession with a mindless attitude of toxic positivity, and perpetual demonising of all forms of victimhood has silenced the distress of veterans whose test of soldierly resilience has become their capacity to show gratitude having been administratively, psychologically, physically, symbolically and quite literally raped.

The very ADF leaders whose careers were advanced promoting this envenomed corporate culture, have retired into positions within the Department of Veterans’ Affairs overseeing the health and wellbeing of every single one of the very veterans these leaders scapegoated.

One does not need the qualification of “Commissioner” to observe a cross-pollination of a corporate culture of harm.

One does not need the qualification of a Clinical Psychologist to comprehend the extraordinary harm to the mind of a human being whose valid emotional reaction to such criminal harm is suppressed by ADF, DVA and cultural mores that validate the emotional expression of only 'positivity' or 'neutrality.'

Enter right-stage the Australian Media, which unashamedly and unanimously will not publicise the injustices of distressed veterans whilst they are alive to avoid the litigious ramifications should their stories tip these vets into suicide. Once dead however, justice may be served, if their deaths serve the media telling their stories.

What has the media to gain from airing the stories of dead veterans, and embarrassing the Federal Government?

On the 4th June 2019, the Federal Police stormed ABC Studios Ultimo and confiscated "The Afghan files" and for the first time in decades Australia witnessed a "separation of power" between Murdoch and the Australian Government. Journalists were given direct mandate to express journalistic freedom in attack of the Federal Governmet, and Editors staged events like the "Save our Heroes Summit," under a greasy disguise of altruism.

The consequence to all this is that Scott Morrison inherited Prime Ministerial ownership of a veteran population expressing distress via the metaphor of a suicide, and a media in outright rebellion. And because at that stage no amount of political interference was able to silence the screams of inevitable maternal grief (a grief being permitted by Murdoch to echo with greater amplitude by the week), an urgent political strategy was sought.

Where was the formation of Morrison’s strategy to begin, when the depth and breadth of the problem was so overwhelming that even the very first step in statistical analysis (that is, counting veterans) had never once been conducted by the nation? How was he to even count the suicides when the baseline number of veterans was never counted?

One might be forgiven for suggesting a national census as the solution; which indeed would be efficacious, except that this strategy would break the number one (perhaps the only) rule of engagement with Australian bureaucracy:

“Never under any circumstance permit the truth to stain the reputation of the man.”

And failure to count veterans both living and dead, would incur indelible stains upon countless reputations, so the “Lapel Pin” and “Veteran Discount Card” was borne on 3rd November 2019 with the underlying assumption that every veteran in the country would be drawn to toward this peculiar head-count, via a 5% fuel discount.

All this accomplished was a coffin-sized hole in the ground for the Liberal Party, for an appalling failure to understand the contemporary veteran (and more so the non-contemporary one). Morrison might well have approximated an accurate head-count had he emulated a remarkably similar, historical counterpart (that being Queen Marie Antionette), by offering his veterans “cake.”

Morrison was drowning. The Murdoch media coterie hosted a “Save our Heroes Summit” on 6th November 2019 demonstrating the media's power over Morrison's government Ben Roberts-Smith VC stepped up representing veterans and their mothers, yet failed to represent himself as the General Manager of network Seven Brisbane. Sharri Markson from Sky News was the Master of Ceremonies, the Daily Telegraph hosted the event, and as an added wound to the Federal Government, the event was conducted on the Federal Government's home turf, NSW Parliament House.

The “Save our Heroes Summit” was a Murdoch-run event, to which Scott Morrison made a special "back-door" appearance. Morrison only spoke with the mothers of deceased veterans, to whom he confessed his true “head-counting” machination of the Veteran Discount Card. Morrison then offered several of these mothers roles as Advisors to his government, effectively buying loyalties and voices of grieving mothers. Morrison left them with the promise that his Christmas break would be spent in deep contemplation weighing the merits of a Royal Commission.

On that very day however, he began preparations to meet in a similar, special "back-door" appearance in Treasurer Josh Frydenberg’s office in Melbourne, a meeting that took place on 12th December 2019.

Numerous attendees stacked the power of numerous organisations behind support of the Liberal Party’s anti-Royal Commission agenda, and in support of finding peace with the clearly powerful might of the media.

Steve Pilmore represented the
Australian Commando Association Australia, the Commando Welfare Trust, and RSL National. Dr Rob Webster represented RSL Victoria. Professor Malcom Hopwood represented the University of Melbourne, Royal Australian and New Zealand College Of Psychiatrists and Phoenix Australia. Associate Professor Morton Rawlin represented the Royal Australian College of General Practice (RACGP). Dr Simon Judkins represented the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine . Professor Jane Burn represented herself (instead of the veterans her Open Arms - Veterans & Families Counselling empire allegedly supported).

The Ringleader (according to the minutes of the meeting) was Sir Peter Cosgrove. The Court Jester writing the minutes (Dr Peter Wirth of Mackay Base Hospital fame) wrote:

“Every person at the table gave clear reasons against the Commission.”

The problem is that most of these organisations were not notified, at any stage, of the nominal representation of those organisations at this meeting, and certainly were not informed that the names of these organisations were used as obstacles in the carriage of justice for thousands of Australian veterans.

Certainly, neither the Commando Welfare Trust, Australian Commando Association, RSL National, RSL Victoria, nor any of the RSL Sub-branches knew what had transpired until months later. Call this misappropriation of power; collapse of organisational constitutional and democratic integrity; fraud; interference of the carriage of justice, or just profound stupidity - the outcome was the same, which was the demise of the Royal Commission.

On 5 February 2020, Scott Morrison had by this stage called a "truce" with Murdoch's coterie, and announced a permanent Commission into veteran suicide, amidst a breathtaking display of self-praise from the Daily Telegraph. This "truce" involved the condition of no further media support nor discussion nor even mention of a "Royal Commission" ever again.

The announcement of Morrison’s antithetical “Commission” into veteran suicide, and more importantly the national celebration of this announcement that drowned all debate, was not a Commission founded upon a compassion toward the distress of veterans, nor toward the grief of mothers. It was founded upon a battle between media and politicians. Morrison and Murdoch permitted corruption to continue, and then everyone collectively painted that corruption to the nation as the solution.

“Although it is not a Royal Commission,” Mr Morrison said addressing the nation “the new role will have similar powers and will investigate individual cases alongside state and territory coroners.”

Ben Roberts-Smith VC had carried the baton for veterans in such an impressive manner, but then he dropped that baton, when his vocality had served its true purpose, which was to have his position of military valour used like a pawn to embarrass the Federal Government subsequent to the Australian Federal Police storming the ABC studios and confiscating the "Afghan Files."

On the of 6th February 2020, the daily Telegraph reported that Ben Roberts Smith VC welcomed the announcement of an independent Commissioner to investigate veteran suicide:

“We are aware the problems that we face are because of a particular culture in defence around this issue [of veteran suicide]. The Commissioner’s role is to shine a light on that,” he said.

Julie Ann Finney, motivated by the suicide of her veteran son David last year, captivated the nation by her change.org petition amassing 300,000 signatures calling for a Royal Commission to investigate veteran suicide.

Until the “Save our Heroes Summit,” Ms Finney represented veterans and their families.

Following this summit, her support was for the Prime Minister and his unprincipled and untested “Commission.”

“I’m excited that something’s happening,” Ms Finney said on ABC radio. “Excited is a bad word but I was not expecting that call yesterday.”

When asked if she was pleased that her involvement had helped get something done, she did not want to take credit for it alone:

"This was not me, this was all of Australia backing this," she said.

Only “all of Australia” was not backing this, because nobody bothered to ask the veterans. In fact the veterans were fundamentally excluded from the entire conversation.

The Commando Welfare Trust, the Australian Commando Association, RSL Victoria, RSL National, and every one of the sub branches of RSL were excluded from every stage of Prime Ministerial conversation, and the venomous treatment of veterans continuing to promote a Royal Commission agenda, with absolutely no media representation, serves as yet another reason for a Royal Commission to investigate veteran suicide.

Or for a coup d’état.

One way or another, the veteran population (which is much, much larger than the Veteran Discount Card was able to demonstrate) will soon realise the machinations of the Morrison-Murdoch madness, and they will realise they have all been played. As was Julie Ann Finney, as was each of the other mothers cornered in Parliament House by the flattery and bribery of an unconscionable Prime Minister, as was Ben Roberts-Smith VC.

Those given freedom to speak at the "Save our Heroes Summit" were given permission to do so only insofar as it might direct injury to the Morrison administration that permitted the Federal Police to usurp power from the media. The Commission that resulted is not a Commission to be trusted.

How the veteran and serving ADF population responds to this corruption - or more correctly - how willing they are to unite under a banner of justice to fight that corruption, will dictate the viability of Australia moving forward to operate within the disappearing goal posts of democracy and decency.

- Dr Daniel J Mealey

MTF...P2 

[thorn bird]

From todays Australian

Why am I'm not surprised? or The Kiwi's steal the march..........AGAIN!

When are our numpy politicians going to wake up?


AMOS AIKMAN
NORTHERN CORRESPONDENT

• 7:22PM AUGUST 31, 2020

Three, two, one, blast-off. That’s how it’s supposed to go. But instead, space industry regulators have been “dragging the chain” on critical approvals, endangering record-breaking launches, first-of-a-kind NASA contracts and hundreds of millions or even billions of dollars worth of potential investments, insiders say.
In a pandemic-afflicted world, Australian businesses may be unable to go out, but they can go up. A government report last year forecast that the space sector could generate 20,000 new jobs and add $12b to GDP by 2030.
Australia stood at the forefront of space exploration in the 1950s and ’60s with pioneering work at places like Woomera. But after that it began to languish, some say through government inattention to the vital needs of entrepreneurs and researchers.
One firm seeking to help Australia recapture a leading role and propel its economic recovery is Equatorial Launch Australia, whose boss Carley Scott sounds frustrated.
“You always hear governments say they want projects that are shovel-ready, that ignite national interest, encourage students into STEM, engage people in the bush,” she said. “We are shovel-ready — there’s nothing else stopping us progressing … we’ve got a contract from NASA that we want to deliver on. We just need the (Australian Space) Agency to come along with us and make sure we can do business.”
ELA is developing a spaceport in Arnhem Land, a significant sovereign asset and a shortcut through industrialisation that could see firms attached to one of Earth’s most ancient civilisations working with frontier science.
ELA has already generated 13 local jobs with 10 going to Aboriginal people. The company was meant to send its first NASA rocket skywards this dry season, which would have been the agency’s first commercial spaceport launch.
“This is a really big deal,” Ms Scott said. “The rest of the world has looked at this opportunity and marvelled and been exceptionally impressed that Australia has been able to secure this world-first.”
ELA is still awaiting approvals to operate its facility and for long-planned takeoffs. Had the coronavirus pandemic not intervened, delaying NASA, the regulatory hold-ups would have precluded ELA meeting contractual obligations, something Scott describes as a “significant risk to national pride and positioning in this fast-growing market”.
South Australian Premier Steven Marshall last week announced that Southern Launch would send Australia’s first commercial space-capable rocket to the edge of the atmosphere on 15 September. The craft, which resembles a hyperdrive-equipped Hills Hoist pole, will carry a whiteboard marker-sized payload designed by DEWC Technologies, a military firm working on a constellation of satellites to spot enemies before they breach the horizon.
Southern Launch boss Lloyd Damp says his firm began the approvals process for its “very small and low-risk operation” — approvals he thinks might take a fortnight in the US — last September. The Civil Aviation Safety Authority took a couple of months to give the green light to approach the 100km atmospheric boundary. (good grief that was quick) But Southern Launch and DEWC want to go 1km beyond that to make the flight historic and test the DEWC payload’s electronic-warfare capabilities.
The difference between the two flight paths equates to a change in the nose-angle at launch. It’s the same rocket. Same fuel. Same payload. But Southern Launch and DEWC have no idea when the ASA may let them blast that extra kilometre.
DEWC’s Ian Spencer sees New Zealand pulling ahead with its successful firm Rocket Lab. He ¬believes reaching space commercially from Australia is a crucial step towards building confidence in the industry Down Under.
“Everyone is excited about it, everyone wants to be part of this, and it’s the right time in history to be doing it,” he said.
“But just to get to this last hurdle and the regulator’s sort of dragging the chain a little bit — I don’t want to bag them and put them off-side, and we’ll never get the thing launched, but it certainly is a frustration.”

Well mate, there’s a few that were in the aviation business that could tell you a  tale or two…….how long is a piece of string?
For goodness sake don’t bag them, they have a thing about that, usually followed by a hostile audit that shuts your whole enterprise down. Hell hath no fury like a CAsA scorned.

Space Industry Association deputy chair Melissa de Zwart says the launch approval delays are “fairly serious”, adding that regulatory environment is the “key determinant” of investment flows in a globally competitive market. She also says Australians take for granted many everyday gadgets and services that secretly rely on space to operate.
“People in lockdown have been watching Netflix, internet shopping home-schooling, using Zoom — what would we do without all of those things?” she asks.
Professor de Zwart sees Australia as poised as in the ‘50s and ‘60s, reliant on government enthusiasm to decide if its industry can grow into a leading role or will be confined to a bit part.
An ASA spokeswoman says the Agency will “continue to work closely with companies such as Southern Launch and Equatorial Launch Australia regarding their obligations … (and) with the industry on providing a regulatory environment that ensures safe and responsible space activities, as well as encouraging innovation and entrepreneurship.”
Adam Gilmour is a former banker who now runs Gilmour Space Technologies, a Queensland-based rocketry firm with ambitions to triple its 55 employees and reap revenues “north of $100m” in a few years.
“When Australia starts launching stuff into space, that will inspire the country to think a bit bigger,” he said.

Some comments on the article:

Thomas
5 HOURS AGO
I really don’t think Australia can claim to have been at the forefront of space exploration in the 1950s and 1960s unless I missed a few rocket launches from Canberra or the Australian moon landing mission from Parramatta. We know that Parkes handled some of the comms for NASA but seriously that’s not us at the forefront, let’s get some perspective.
Likethumb_up2

Steve
5 HOURS AGO
The Coalition is all talk and no action on just about everything.  The only thing they do is hold Royal Commissions (or Senate Reviews), issue a report then put it on the shelf to gather dust until they need to do the same Royal Commission again.

Anthony
6 HOURS AGO
I get physically nauseous and angry at the damage being done to our future by bureaucrats.  Perhaps it is worse elsewhere, I wouldn’t know.  But I have experienced it myself here and my heart bleeds for entrepreneurs and business people having their and the countries dreams and aspirations frustrated by pen pushing taxpayer funded bureaucrats.  And to add insult to injury, most of them are unsuited by education, training or experience to be screwing the endeavours of those putting their own money and lives on the line.

BarryF
7 HOURS AGO
We control out to the continental shelf at sea and have an exclusive economic zone to 200 kms in that direction. How far does or can Australia regulate going up? Perhaps as far as bureaucratic hot air can rise? If you know the answer to that question maybe you also know how far down we control. As far as China?

Garry
7 HOURS AGO
CASA continues be an impediment to all things aviation.
A complete clean out is urgently required .we need “ can do “ not “can not “attitudes. What can we do to help instead of “ I’m covering my arse”.. what’s the chance of that?? Probably zero
Likethumb_up8
Greg
7 HOURS AGO
This is exactly reminiscent of an episode of Utopia.

Johnnw
7 HOURS AGO
The Australian way...create a bureaucracy, then think of something it can regulate.

Peter
15 HOURS AGO
As you try to negotiate the necessaries, sitting around the table of bureaucrats and pseudo-experts,  there is only one thought will run though your mind.  Almost every one of these people will be sitting there thinking:  "how can I use each of these issues to enhance my image in the eyes of my boss?" 

Soylent Majority
17 HOURS AGO
(Edited)
There is nothing good old-fashioned, bloody-minded Australian bureaucracy can't screw up. The struggle of Southern Launch and DEWC to be allowed to fly that one extra vertical kilometre is perfectly symptomatic of the mind-set. You can just picture the space bureaucrats: having set an arbitrary boundary in the sky, they'd be holding meetings, writing proposals, rushing hither and thither with worried looks about the potentially catastrophic effects of flying that one extra K on . . . well, who knows? Oh, it might upset the delicate habitat of Canberra's Skywhale, causing a cascading extinction event in the endangered Skywhale population, thus increasing the number of polar bears spontaneously bursting into flames . . . or something.

Earlier today I watched a live stream of the fourteenth Electron rocket launch from New Zealand. By the time our government has got done designing the gender-neutral toilet signage for Australia's first space station (built in Lichtenstein, estimated delivery time the year 2983 at a cost of 38 squintillion dollars) and negotiated the contract for delivering the welcome to country ceremonies with indigenous Martian tribes and developed a covid-safe crew transfer vehicle, the Kiwis will be settling the moons of Neptune.

The KIWIS for goodness sakes!

Damien
16 HOURS AGO
I'm a Kiwi who worked in Canberra for the public service (Commonwealth not ACT) for just over five years and the story (and Soylent Majority's brilliant take on it - hilarious!) is all too familiar. Thankfully in 2016 the National govt under John Key set up a small hands-off NZ Space Agency with a pro-business leaning (it sits as a branch within the bigger Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment rather than with one of the science agencies). In fact it was basically a 'shell company'-like entity created to give NASA a Kiwi opposite to sign the giant pile of American paperwork of cooperation agreements, permissions, etc, born of decades of interaction with bureaucratic space behemoths like the ESA. Since then its approach has been 'Let her rip!' - John Key and, to her credit, Jacinda Adern, have both recognised that in dealing with such a innovative hi-tech sector govt bureaucrats will never be able to keep up with, much less set rigid parameters for, the leading edge companies in the field like Rocket Lab. 

Soylent Majority
6 HOURS AGO
Good on you, Damien. I wasn't having a go at NZ, you understand. I'm highly impressed that the government across the ditch has allowed a private company to set up and operate it's own space facility and that the locals are cool with it.

It's just impossible to imagine happening here. Australia routinely takes every natural advantage and opportunity and buries it in nonsense.

And as a fellow former Canberra APS escapee, well done on getting out!

Penelope
7 HOURS AGO
Agree. Australia has a history of very slow and unreasonable bureaucracy to the country’s detriment: also, if it is good give it away or sell early (CSIRO is largely the exception). It’s time to grasp opportunities, especially in a timely manner, and get on with it.

[thorn bird]

Taxpayers spent $30m on land worth only $3m for Western Sydney Airport's second runway
Sydney Morning Herald
By Matt O'Sullivan
September 21, 2020 — 6.45pm

The federal government has been castigated for paying a dairy farm operator 22 times more per hectare for a parcel of land abutting Western Sydney Airport than what its state counterpart did for its own slice of what has been dubbed the "Leppington triangle".
The 12.26 hectares in question at Bringelly were bought by the Commonwealth for almost $30 million in July 2018 with the aim of eventually using it as part of the airports second runway.

Less than a year later, the federal Department of Infrastructure's accounts revealed it valued the land at $3.065 million – just a tenth of the price it paid Leppington Pastoral Company.
It led to an audit by federal Auditor-General Grant Hehir who has found that the department failed to exercise proper due diligence in its purchase of the dairy farming land, and that aspects of the agency's operations "fell short of ethical standards".

His report, released on Monday, also determined that the department's valuation approach inflated the value of the land, which lead to the Commonwealth paying "more than was proper".
In fact, the Commonwealth ended up paying 22 times more per hectare than what the NSW government paid for a 1.36-hectare slice of the Leppington triangle needed for a realignment of the Northern Road, which is a key north-south link between Narellan and the M4 motorway.

The Auditor-General also found the department's acquisition strategy was focused on "incentivising an unwilling seller" to dispose of its land some 32 years before it was expected to be used for a second runway. The farming land next to the 1780-hectare airport site became known as the Leppington triangle because of its shape.

Upon buying the land, the Commonwealth leased it back to the dairy operator for a decade with options to renew the lease for a further 10 years. The land was valued at $920,000 for lease back.
A consequence of the decision to lease the land back was that a road underpass needed to be constructed to allow farm vehicles and animals to pass between the Leppington Pastoral Company's main farm and the Leppington triangle land.

Years earlier, the federal government had agreed that, if the Northern Road was re-routed, it would construct a tunnel or other carriageway under the road.

In mid 2017, the federal department instructed NSW's Roads and Maritime Services to include an underpass in the design of the Northern Road for the farm owner's use.

According to departmental records from early 2016, the underpass was expected to cost about $10 million. The Audit Office sought details of the cost but the Department of Infrastructure advised in June that it did not have separate figures for the underpass.
The Auditor-General also highlighted in his report that ministers and other decision-makers were not properly advised on the land acquisition as formal briefings omitted key information, such as the purchase price and that it exceeded all known market valuations.

In its response, the Department of Infrastructure said it was concerned by the report's findings and was taking action to fix any shortcomings in the processes and decision-making arrangements.

The department has agreed to all three of the Auditor-General's recommendations, including that it prepare balanced analysis on the benefits, costs and risks of proposals to spend public money.
The Auditor-General also highlighted in his report that ministers and other decision-makers were not properly advised on the land acquisition as formal briefings omitted key information, such as the purchase price and that it exceeded all known market valuations.

All passing strange? Department of infrastructure paying a very rich landholder way way way over the odds for a small piece of his land to build an airport, but gift our secondary airports to development sharks to turn into industrial sites, paying peanuts to make billions.

Wonder which Murky Mandarin set that up?
The machinations of the big end of town never cease to amaze me.

[Peetwo]

Via the Oz:

---

COVID’s chaos a big opportunity for little airlines


Alliance Aviation has seen opportunity in the COVID crisis to expand its fleet, and will take delivery of its first Embraer 190 jet by the end of October. Picture: Supplied

• ROBYN IRONSIDE
  AVIATION WRITER
  @ironsider
  

By smashing Australia’s airline industry to pieces, the COVID crisis has created a unique opportunity for smaller operators to grab valuable market share from Qantas and Virgin.

Both Regional Express and Alliance admit the fleet expansions both airlines are undertaking were not even imagined at the start of 2020, which was to be Qantas’s year — marking the airline’s centenary.

Instead, Qantas has been forced to axe more than 8000 workers, ground dozens of aircraft, many indefinitely, and take on about $3bn more debt to survive the pandemic.

Virgin Australia is also shrinking its fleet and workforce but through the process of administration will at least emerge with fewer financial constraints than its larger rival.

Rex deputy chairman John Sharp said it was as if the COVID crisis had reset the industry and taken it back to square one.

“It’s like we were running a race and Qantas was way out in front and Virgin was some way behind and Alliance and Rex and all the other airlines were well back from there,” Mr Sharp told The Weekend Australian.

“All of a sudden a rope was thrown across the course and tripped up Qantas and tripped up Virgin, tripped up everybody and we all had to go back to the start and do it again.

“It means there’s a fresh start for the industry coming up and anyone could do well in this race.”

To that end, Rex was in the process of finalising finance for six Boeing 737s formerly leased by Virgin Australia to operate on the Golden Triangle routes of Melbourne-Sydney-Brisbane.

The new additions would expand Rex’s fleet to 50 aircraft, with the possibility of another four 737s by the end of 2021.

Similarly Alliance was awaiting delivery of the first of 14 Embraer 190 jets, taking its fleet to 57 aircraft by June 30.

Managing director Scott McMillan said expansion had not been part of Alliance’s plans for 2020, until the pandemic turned the world on its head.

“Our history has been punctuated by opportunistic aircraft purchasing,” Mr McMillan said.

“When we started Alliance we bought our first aircraft post-September 11, when aircraft values got smashed. We bought some more in the middle of the global financial crisis and again in 2015, and we’re doing exactly the same with the Embraer 190s.”

Unlike Rex however, Alliance’s sights were not set on the competitive regular public transport sector.

Mr McMillan said the demand for charter services had skyrocketed during COVID and he was convinced the new customers they had acquired would be permanent.

“A lot of people and a lot of companies have come off scheduled airlines services in the regions and on to charter, and realised how good it is. They’re not going back,” he said.

In a further twist to the market reset, pilots, engineers and cabin crew were returning to the regions where many began their aviation careers.

The Victorian-based owner of Sharp Airlines, Malcolm Sharp, said the halt in the attrition rate had been one of the few silver linings of the pandemic.

“It’s actually steadied the ship for what was probably not sustainable for the regional aviation industry,” Mr Sharp said. “We were forever in a training environment where we were bringing new people on, training them, only to see them move on to the larger airlines.”

Qantas declined to comment but indicated it would protect its market share. On Friday the airline announced it would add Sydney-Merimbula to its network in a blow to Rex, which operates the only service on the route.

Virgin Australia CEO Paul Scurrah has previously said the post-administration airline would likely lose some market share by cutting unprofitable routes. The carrier has already dumped seven destinations.

---

MTF...P2 

[thorn bird]

Did my ears deceive me?

On Sky news last night it was reported that the NSW Government paid
35 million dollars for a citation jet to act as a bird dog for their B737 tanker.
If its true, did anyone tell them they could have bought two used B737's for
that amount of money...

Passing strange...did someone get a nice little commission on that deal?

Very impressed with the black leather seats in the tanker....Pity they can't use them.

[thorn bird]

AUSTRALIA AND AUSTRALIANS

The following has been written by the late Douglas Adams of "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" fame, bought a smile to my face. This was written quite a few years ago, wonder what his view would be today? A humourless, overgoverned, politically correct Wokland perhaps?


"Australia is a very confusing place, taking up a large amount of the bottom half of the planet. It is recognisable from orbit because of many unusual features, including what at first looks like an enormous bite taken out of its southern edge; a wall of sheer cliffs which plunge into the girting sea.
Geologists assure us that this is simply an accident of geomorphology, but they still call it the "Great Australian Bight", proving that not only are they covering up a more frightening theory but they can't spell either.

The first of the confusing things about Australia is the status of the place. Where other landmasses and sovereign lands are classified as continent, island or country, Australia is considered all three.
Typically, it is unique in this.

The second confusing thing about Australia is the animals. They can be divided into three categories: Poisonous, Odd, and Sheep. It is true that of the 10 most poisonous arachnids on the planet, Australia has 9 of them. Actually, it would be more accurate to say that of the 9 most poisonous arachnids, Australia has all of them.

Any visitors should be careful to check inside boots (before putting them on), under toilet seats (before sitting down) and generally everywhere else.
A stick is very useful for this task.

The last confusing thing about Australia is the inhabitants.

A short history: Sometime around 40,000 years ago some people arrived in boats from the north. They ate all the available food, and a lot of them died.

The ones who survived learned respect for the balance of nature, man's proper place in the scheme of things, and spiders. They settled in and spent a lot of the intervening time making up strange stories.  They also discovered a stick that kept coming back.

Then, around 200 years ago, Europeans arrived in boats from the north.

More accurately, European convicts were sent, with a few deranged people in charge. They tried to plant their crops in autumn (failing to take account of the reversal of the seasons), ate all their food, and a lot of them died.

About then the sheep arrived, and have been treasured ever since. It is interesting to note here that the Europeans always consider themselves vastly superior to any other race they encounter, since they can lie, cheat, steal and litigate (marks of a civilised culture they say), whereas all the Aboriginals can do is happily survive being left in the middle of a vast red-hot desert - equipped with a stick.

Eventually, the new lot of people stopped being Europeans on 'extended holiday' and became Australians. The changes are subtle, but deep, caused by the mind-stretching expanses of nothingness and eerie quiet, where a person can sit perfectly still and look deep inside themselves to the core of their essence, their reasons for being, and the necessity of checking inside their boots every morning for fatal surprises. They also picked up the most finely tuned sense of irony in the world, and the Aboriginal gift for making up stories. Be warned.

There is also the matter of the beaches. Australian beaches are simply the nicest and best in the world, although anyone actually venturing into the sea will have to contend with sharks, stinging jellyfish, stonefish (a fish which sits on the bottom of the sea, pretends to be a rock and has venomous barbs sticking out of its back that will kill just from the pain) and surfboarders. However, watching
a beach sunset is worth the risk.

As a result of all this hardship, dirt, thirst and wombats, you would expect Australians to be a sour lot. Instead, they are genial, jolly, cheerful and always willing to share a kind word with a stranger. Faced with insurmountable odds and impossible problems, they smile disarmingly and look for a stick. Major engineering feats have been performed with sheets of corrugated iron, string and mud.
Alone of all the races on earth, they seem to be free from the 'Grass is greener on the other side of the fence' syndrome, and roundly proclaim that Australia is, in fact, the other side of that fence. They call the land "Oz" or "Godzone" (a verbal contraction of "God's Own Country"). The irritating thing about this is... they may be right.

TIPS TO SURVIVING AUSTRALIA
Don't ever put your hand down a hole for any reason - WHATSOEVER.
The beer is stronger than you think, regardless of how strong you think it is.
Always carry a stick.

Air-conditioning is imperative.

Do not attempt to use Australian slang unless you are a trained linguist and extremely good in a fist fight.

Wear thick socks.

Take good maps. Stopping to ask directions only works when there are people nearby.
If you leave the urban areas, carry several litres of water with you at all times, or you will die. And don't forget a stick.

Even in the most embellished stories told by Australians, there is always a core of truth that it is unwise to ignore.

HOW TO IDENTIFY AUSTRALIANS

They pronounce Melbourne as "Mel-bin".
They think it makes perfect sense to decorate highways with large fibreglass bananas, prawns and sheep.
They think "Woolloomooloo" is a perfectly reasonable name for a place, that "Wagga Wagga" can be abbreviated to "Wagga", but "Woy Woy" can't be called "Woy".
Their hamburgers will contain beetroot. Apparently it's a must-have.
How else do you get a stain on your shirt?
They don't think it's summer until the steering wheel is too hot to handle.
They believe that all train timetables are works of fiction.
And they all carry a stick.. ? ??

[P7_TOM]

All well and good – BUT. Would he last a night in the Pub?

There's a lot of folk who would read the epistle above and believe it; for some of it is 'ridgy-didge' – he fails, entirely to 'get' the humour of the bush or; the subtle ways we have of not telling anyone what not to. For example, sticking a paw down a hole. Who, in their right minds, would want to do such a thing, in any land on this planet? Even in the most gentle lands, unless you really want what is down a hole in the dirt; why would you attempt such folly – try doing it in Badger's set, in non venomous England – you'd be ordering to pints and a half on finger count, in a heartbeat.

Snakes, well 'if you walk quietly' and leave 'em room to slither off – particularly when they are 'sun-baking' – they will amble away without the slightest concern. However; a guaranteed (not mentioned) heart stopper can be found on your next visit to a Queensland 'dunny' – Green frogs. They love the porcelain, the cool water, the insects and the dark shady conditions. I still to this day remember the hysterics of a fairly sophisticated passenger who, desperate, spent (or tried to) a penny in an airport 'loo'. The totally harmless frog popped up for as look-see at the 'eclipse – hilarious; I'll say no more; but it took the best part of 36 hours for her to regain some 'sang-froid'.

Sticks; now they are a different world. The local's carry 'em to knock down hives, fruit, and all manner of 'bush tucker' – handy things to have – they almost guarantee a warm fire every night and a way to cook the day's catch. Oh, and by-the-by, despite the popular belief that a 'Boomerang' will come back is bollocks. It ain't supposed to return 'empty handed'. It is designed the 'kill' or stun – and it needs some skill to master. Miss the one shot of the day – then it's berry's and roots for dinner – hit the target – Chops all around – meat, once a week is a very good batting average.

This fellah makes a fortune selling this crap; sat in a club wearing a Plum coloured smoking jacket, over weight, overpaid and peddling his arrogant dribble to unsuspecting kids who want to see the world in reality. Australia is a hard, harsh land away from the fleshpots of Bondi and the brothels of Melbourne. Why not talk about those on the land who can, through necessity, fix a tractor with 8 gauge fence wire; breed a horse, break it to saddle or plough and take care of it's illness; or, of those who survive and prosper despite the odds. The wanker may sell books – faerie stories to entice children – but he fails, utterly to 'understand this wide, brown land. So he can shove his 'stick' and spiders - where the sun don't shine. Amen. L&K Troo Bloo ridgey didge Ozzie.

[Peetwo]

Courtesy Michael West Media...

Via Twitter:

Michael West
@MichaelWestBiz

Over 20 years, billionaire donations favour Coalition over Labor by 2-1. Investigation of #RichList loopholes and political party payments by @sstephanietrann #auspol

Investigation: how political donations protect a cosy loophole for Australia’s plutocrats

This extract rings a few bells??

“No matter how much Liberal and Labor and the Nationals try to dress up this amendment it is purely and simply money laundering of property development donations to the states via the federal party. It’s a blatant undermining of the states’ attempt to bring greater integrity to donations. The prohibition of property development donations was a great leap forward and Liberal and Labor have now worked together to undermine it.”
“All that will happen is that a property developer will make a million-dollar donation to the federal party and the federal party will generously donate $1 million to its state subsidiary. The two are not connected, they will say. Just a pure coincidence they will say.”
Stephen Mayne: “To allow these landowners to donate to the decision makers on property development is a bit like allowing criminals to donate to judges. No one is allowed to pay judges so why are people allowed to pay decision makers in planning and property development issues?”

Hmm...now join the dots to this particular member of the 'rich list' - 

Via Twitter:

Ref: https://twitter.com/MichaelWestBiz/statu...4451955712

Trucking magnate Lindsay Fox: 4 dark companies on #richlist which paid 526k in donations to Labor & Liberal parties (unusual, more to ALP), wealth $3.7bn. Research: @sstephanietrann @lukestacey_
Close the loophole for billionaires #auspol

And...

Ref: https://auntypru.com/setting-the-odds-and-playing-em/ & https://www.facebook.com/MichaelMcCormac...7802187548 & https://auntypru.com/sbg-8-3-20-you-are-...r-the-job/



MTF...P2 

[Sandy Reith]

Its fine to investigate political donations and of course the ramifications.
But then there’s a problem if we are being led towards offering solutions, like banning donations on the basis of the business of an individual or company solely in terms of land zoning permissions. For example to legally define that concept, a too close connection between a particular political decision and the financial benefit gained, is virtually impossible. Why not include and define the numerous other political decisions that affect businesses ranging from taxation and the extraordinary number of permits and regulations that emanate from a large number of the twelve hundred Commonwealth instrumentalities, let alone State governments? Are we a free people that have the right to donate to organisations that we wish to support? Is it healthy to have a strong system of political parties in the interests of good government? Shall we do away with cash altogether and then governments will have total surveillance of all of what used to be our private property?

I’m very happy to point out and highlight donations such as the famous Rex donations but to divert energy into complex philosophical discourse about changing the laws around the right to make donations to political parties risks blurring the focus.

Furthermore it is society’s acquiescence to a system of government control over private land use that is at heart of matter. This system, euphemistically known as ‘planning’ exists on the basis of the opinions of governments who have no skin in the game versus those private individuals and companies that plan for themselves with their own money and resources. Remove that opinion making element by governments and the problem of influence no longer exists. Such is the happy state of affairs in no zoning Houston Texas, and used to be in Australia BP (Before Planning, zero unemployment, affordable market value land, freedom of choice, services like shops where viable and businesses located in their best positions to make money and all contributed to very fast growing prosperity).

Or to make it simple, take your pick, government in or out?

Let’s go for aviation rules in a similar fashion as we have for road transport. Rules that no one has any real problem with, do away with all the thought bubble opinions, let people get on with learning how they choose and free enterprise will sort the system, we could progress. USA rules, instructors no need for medical if student already soloed. Plain commonsense, not forgetting that in this Information Age the newbie can check for what’s real and for value if they take the trouble and don’t have an ego problem to ask.

[thorn bird]

On Skynews tonight???

federal Government to piss away 1.5 billion of our grandchildren and probably great-grandchildren's money to provide subsidy for half price regional airfares.

WTF??? What terrible irony, in the good old USA it costs close to half per hour to run an aircraft largely due to sensible, safe, soft touch regulation. Would it be easier, safer and more cost effective to clean out CASA, adopt US FAR's, unshackle our aviation industry to get on with it.....NA that implies common sense, something that seems to be an anathema in our political class.

[thorn bird]

Something unusual but it jingled a bell.

THE DANGERS OF RISK

A poignant poem which may, or may not, reflect on our industry which, after all, is so much about risk, and perhaps reflects on life in general.

This poem was discovered in an old decaying hut in the wilderness of South West Tasmania by an intrepid explorer. Scrawled in a small tattered notebook many decades before him by another intrepid explorer. It resonated with him, as it did with me.

RISK

“To Laugh is to RISK appearing the fool

To weep is to RISK being called sentimental

To reach out to another is to RISK involvement

To expose feelings is to RISK showing your true self

To place your ideas and dreams before the crowd is to RISK being called naïve

To love is to risk not being loved in return

To live is to RISK Dying

To Try is to RISK failure

But RISK must be taken, because the greatest risk in life is to risk nothing

The people who risk nothing

Do Nothing

Make nothing

Have nothing

Are nothing

And become nothing

They may avoid suffering and sorrow, but simply they cannot learn to feel and change and grow and love and live.

Chained by their servitude to risk, they are slaves, they forfeit their freedom.

Only the people who risk are truly free."

[Gentle]

thorn bird,

Beautiful....

No risk ensures mediocrity...

And I’m afraid that word says it all at the moment of this country.

“Mediocrity Australia” hah sounds like something out of the TV series“Utopia”.

Or maybe the next name for one of the organisations led by a wise monkey?

[thorn bird]

Interesting snippet in todays Australian by Robyn Ironside.

A new 35 year veteran of Australia's aviation industry has been appointed CEO of an Adelaide-based firm Turbine Aeronautics. Apparently the company is developing "revolutionary" turboprop engines for small aircraft as well as military UAV's.

All sounds very exciting and could be another example of Innovative, entrepreneurial spirit at work to actually start making stuff again in Australia.

Forgive me from being pessimistic, but our history is fraught with other examples of innovational idea's where hopes and dreams were dashed against the brick wall of our aviation regulator. I sincerely wish them well, but I fear even if they are successful with a revolutionary new engine, their enterprise will be crushed under the weight of draconian bureaucratic interference and disappear from our shore to foreign climes.

[thorn bird]

Parallels perhaps??

A story in the Australian Tues May 18 by Ben Packham Foreign affairs and defence correspondent.

Headline:

"Man on a mission: Dutton keeps defence staff at arm's length"

"Peter Dutton has insulated his ministerial office from interference by Defence, accepting only the bare minimum of departmental staff as he prepares to shake up his $44bn portfolio"

The article explains he has only three people on his close staff contrasted against his predecessor whose office was "Stacked with defence Bureaucrats".

The article goes on to explain that "Defence is famed for co-opting and even undermining its ministers".

The article claims Senator Reynolds, a former Army reservist, critics said she was "Captured" by her department.

Interesting conjuring up parallels, Perhaps K could award a chock frog to whoever can read my mind as to which other government entity could be the prime suspect.

A minister "Captured"? or maybe a comparison between a minister coward and one with large Cahoona"s?

[Kharon]

Who carries the can, when the wheels come off? That is the question.

No matter what the 'job' there is always – always, someone to answer to. The bigger the job, the greater the penalty for cock-up. The larger the crew, the more opinions there are to deal with. The larger the money pit, the more shovels there are, willing to help dig it out. IMO Dutton has reached for the deal in a high stakes game; which is only sensible.

It will be 'interesting to watch – perhaps he may influence other ministers to 'own' their portfolio and pay attention to the matters for which they are responsible. Can you imagine a minister for Transport rolling up his sleeves, booting the hangers on out of the place and setting out to 'sort' out the tangles? How good would that be? Alas we have the WWWWW W (we added waste of oxygen) being blindly and willingly led about the place – the prize winning beast at the show – next stop the slaughter house.

Good on Dutton (like him or not) for taking the reigns; should be more of it. At least it makes pinning 'the tale' on the donkey easy.

Toot toot.

[P7_TOM]

Who carries the can, when the wheels come off? That is the question.

No matter what the 'job' there is always – always, someone to answer to. The bigger the job, the greater the penalty for cock-up. The larger the crew, the more opinions there are to deal with. The larger the money pit, the more shovels there are, willing to help dig it out. IMO Dutton has reached for the deal in a high stakes game; which is only sensible.

It will be 'interesting to watch – perhaps he may influence other ministers to 'own' their portfolio and pay attention to the matters for which they are responsible. Can you imagine a minister for Transport rolling up his sleeves, booting the hangers on out of the place and setting out to 'sort' out the tangles? How good would that be? Alas we have the WWWWW W (we added waste of oxygen) being blindly and willingly led about the place – the prize winning beast at the show – next stop the slaughter house.

Good on Dutton (like him or not) for taking the reigns; should be more of it. At least it makes pinning 'the tale' on the donkey easy.

Toot toot.

Credlin - HERE - says it all.

[Peetwo]

Who carries the can, when the wheels come off? That is the question.

No matter what the 'job' there is always – always, someone to answer to. The bigger the job, the greater the penalty for cock-up. The larger the crew, the more opinions there are to deal with. The larger the money pit, the more shovels there are, willing to help dig it out. IMO Dutton has reached for the deal in a high stakes game; which is only sensible.

It will be 'interesting to watch – perhaps he may influence other ministers to 'own' their portfolio and pay attention to the matters for which they are responsible. Can you imagine a minister for Transport rolling up his sleeves, booting the hangers on out of the place and setting out to 'sort' out the tangles? How good would that be? Alas we have the WWWWW W (we added waste of oxygen) being blindly and willingly led about the place – the prize winning beast at the show – next stop the slaughter house.

Good on Dutton (like him or not) for taking the reigns; should be more of it. At least it makes pinning 'the tale' on the donkey easy.

Toot toot.

Credlin - HERE - says it all.

[thorn bird]

Pity the aviation industry, burdened by parasites sucking their vitals.

Their role in our economy diminished to invisibility by their government. Successive ministers with spines about as robust as an overcooked noodle, "captured" by their bureaucrats who regulate in their own interest rather than the industry they supposedly oversee.

Development sharks diminishing their airports to the point where there is very little space left for aviation.
Their very viability as airports becoming questionable, and their safety compromised by huge non aviation structures.

Pity the Tax payers, swindled out of hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes that might have been paid if the industry was unshackled and allowed to grow, and hundreds of millions more if a fair price had been paid for their airports.

Oh well on the bright side, at least defence has a minister with spine, we get the village idiot.