[slats11]

Talking of those one-off political donations.......

Check out Q 1a on top of page 2 of this disclosure return.

http://periodicdisclosures.aec.gov.au/Re.../RINU3.pdf

“Do you operate or conduct business under any other names?"

These donations were made in the name of Rex.

Given ATSB was conducting investigation of PelAir at the time, should Rex have answered Yes to this question and declared they also operated as PelAir?

Slats

PAIN is a funny old thing to be mixed up with, great fun but it's the scratching of my curiosity itch which keeps me at it.  That's why the Bar Room Barristers (BRB) indaba are important; puzzles, riddles and conundrums are all fair game.  It's not often we have a full dress pow-wow, but there is one coming up, darts and lampshades verboten (Thorny), until later.  My turn to write the agenda and I'm spoiled for choice; major accidents are off the menu due to a shortage of 'hard' data.  The 'cruise conversations' have dried up, leaving only carefully nurtured 'pet theory' behind and a fair amount of beers being bet; and, pay up night is always a next day off event.  So to the menu:-


Senate Estimates.  The estimates today are considered a 'crucial' yardstick.  

1) It has been almost two years since the Pel Air recommendations were published by a furious committee which lambasted Merdek, his department, the CASA and ATSB and yet nothing has changed; not on the surface anyway.  We shall see tonight whether Xenophon has, as is rumoured, turned away from the aviation soap box, focussing now on power and glory.  It would be a sad thing if true, but the pragmatists are betting that way.

2) The monopolistic, profitable Quango ASA provider of air traffic services got a fair old flogging last round, dodgy doings with large lumps of (AAFRS) money, holidays paid for under the guise of 'training courses and several other unsavoury matters, all of which demanded answers to written question.  The answers have been grossly delayed by Merdek and, as the committee was 'fairly cross' about this game last time around, no doubt they will displeased with a what? an eight week delay.  Heff is Chair and he did make mention of this tiresome game last time. 

Then of course there is the great credit card rort to deal with.  Much mystery surrounds one case which Stabbed in the Dark (Staib) insisted be dealt with in camera (sub rosa).  The problem is, despite trying to keep a lid on the worst kept secret, that the answers provided were 'disingenuous'.   Hells bells, the world and it's wife knows the story; remember the Purcell ditty "Nymphs and Shepherds come away" well, transpose those words to "lawyers and firemen play all day" and you'll get the picture.  The Navy is miffed, the credit card auditors are going nuts and because of the unholy mess left behind by previous and existing 'high rollers' the Senators are all over it.  Could be fun. 

3) We will be interested to see if the payments made, sorry, donations to political parties surfaces.  It is a matter which needs to be attended to, if anyone ever joins the dots and follows the money trail from when Ansett went down and took it's two feeder airlines out with it, there will political embarrassment all around.  Then what will Singapore say over G&T in the Iron Bar??: well, I'll leave that up to your imagination.  Political mutual benefit is an old notion; but where does the undue influence line get drawn?  Anyway – it's up for BRB discussion.  Betting is the Senate won't touch it.

4) The appointment of Manning to ATSB may assist Be-a-Cur step around the Merde, certainly a useful delaying tactic, time to settle the new boy into school.  It will be intersting to see how the Senators treat this as it will signpost their intentions.  Soft line and no more Heff thundering at his famous man at the back of the room; or will we get some sound, tinged with fury from the panel.  Time will tell.

5) It's Mark Skidmores' first rodeo and that will tell us a tale.  It will be of great interest to see who's there, who sits where and the body language will tell a better story than the rhetoric.  If rumour is true; the Farq-u-hardson school of McComical embuggerance has declared war on the Skidmore boys.  A classic white hat v black hat shoot out.  The body count and score card will matter a great deal to aviation in this country.  If you do nothing else tomorrow, try and watch the Hansard video for it will tell you if we are indeed ducked for all money or; can struggle on to fly another day.  Do not; not ever, allow the price of land for development to be far from your thoughts.  Watch carefully children.

That's enough PAIN secrets for one day; I expect there will be more tomorrow.  Aunt Pru takes an interest in such matters; and, as we must pay our rent we need to earn our humble corn.  MTF? probably.

Music to muse by.

Toot toot... ..