At fantastic cost:-
"As such, I claim public interest immunity over documents subject to the Orders."
APH - “In the judgment of the High Court of Australia in Sankey v. Whitlam it was held that the public interest in the administration of justice outweighed any public interest in withholding documents which belonged to a class of documents which may be protected from disclosure irrespective of their contents. The court held that such documents should be inspected by the court which should then itself determine whether the public interest rendered their non-disclosure necessary. The court held that a claim of Crown privilege has no automatic operation; it always remains the function of the court to determine upon that claim. Accordingly a class claim supported by reference to the need to encourage candour on the part of public servants in their advice to Ministers was not a tenable claim of Crown privilege.” etc..
Considering that 'the nation' meets all costs related to 'government' and governance; it seems quite reasonable that a fair percentage of 'documents' – (92% ish) should be made available to those with an 'interest' in government thinking. State secrets and such fair enough (defence etc.) but for such a mundane subject as 'aviation' which affects so many elements of everyday life, one has to wonder what must be kept away from public scrutiny.
Probably being naïve, but the one and only way to make any form of return on an airline investment is 'bums – on – seats' and frequency of service; a service which must be 'affordable'. The cost of operating a service from 'advertising' to luggage retrieval at the other end forms a good size chunk of ticket price; fees to operationally needed terminal infrastructure another. These accounts must be paid before an engine gets started. Then the 'fees' government add to the cost of service must be built into the ticket price – what ever is left over goes to the airline operator to meet the cost of running the operation and squeeze out a profit line on the balance sheet. It is a tough, expensive, risky game, not one for the feint of heart.
So much for the airline side; but what of the huge impost 'government services' to industry demands. The various 'departments' ASA, ATSB and CASA all, in one way or the other are funded by the public and their budgets are truly staggering. These costs – one way or another – all come from the public purse. That these agencies are 'autonomous' and beyond ministerial control is bad enough, but add in that they are essentially a 'for profit' business, fully protected, without competition, sanctioned under the catch-all cry of 'safety' – and pay executive bonus to boot – well: you have to ask who's shagging whom, who paid and what is the total cost?
There are no 'national secrets' contained within any documentation related to the fantastic, government imposed costs of operating the few aircraft Australia manages to put in the air every day. I say it is very much in the public interest to open up this Pandora's box of additional cost and let the public see, exactly the extent of cost piled onto their ticket home to visit the family. Miniscule King could actually compare the Direct Operating Cost per seat to the airline; subtract that from the final ticket price , then show Joe Public the imposed mark up for providing a self serving autocracy which has no interest in anything else but bonus and being a great cut-out between incompetent ministers and the mug punters paying for it all – and then some.
"As such, I claim public interest immunity over documents subject to the Orders."
BOLLOCKS, shameless, unmitigated BOLLOCKS...........Release the documents and shame the Devil...(Had to get that off my chest!).
Toot - toot.
"As such, I claim public interest immunity over documents subject to the Orders."
APH - “In the judgment of the High Court of Australia in Sankey v. Whitlam it was held that the public interest in the administration of justice outweighed any public interest in withholding documents which belonged to a class of documents which may be protected from disclosure irrespective of their contents. The court held that such documents should be inspected by the court which should then itself determine whether the public interest rendered their non-disclosure necessary. The court held that a claim of Crown privilege has no automatic operation; it always remains the function of the court to determine upon that claim. Accordingly a class claim supported by reference to the need to encourage candour on the part of public servants in their advice to Ministers was not a tenable claim of Crown privilege.” etc..
Considering that 'the nation' meets all costs related to 'government' and governance; it seems quite reasonable that a fair percentage of 'documents' – (92% ish) should be made available to those with an 'interest' in government thinking. State secrets and such fair enough (defence etc.) but for such a mundane subject as 'aviation' which affects so many elements of everyday life, one has to wonder what must be kept away from public scrutiny.
Probably being naïve, but the one and only way to make any form of return on an airline investment is 'bums – on – seats' and frequency of service; a service which must be 'affordable'. The cost of operating a service from 'advertising' to luggage retrieval at the other end forms a good size chunk of ticket price; fees to operationally needed terminal infrastructure another. These accounts must be paid before an engine gets started. Then the 'fees' government add to the cost of service must be built into the ticket price – what ever is left over goes to the airline operator to meet the cost of running the operation and squeeze out a profit line on the balance sheet. It is a tough, expensive, risky game, not one for the feint of heart.
So much for the airline side; but what of the huge impost 'government services' to industry demands. The various 'departments' ASA, ATSB and CASA all, in one way or the other are funded by the public and their budgets are truly staggering. These costs – one way or another – all come from the public purse. That these agencies are 'autonomous' and beyond ministerial control is bad enough, but add in that they are essentially a 'for profit' business, fully protected, without competition, sanctioned under the catch-all cry of 'safety' – and pay executive bonus to boot – well: you have to ask who's shagging whom, who paid and what is the total cost?
There are no 'national secrets' contained within any documentation related to the fantastic, government imposed costs of operating the few aircraft Australia manages to put in the air every day. I say it is very much in the public interest to open up this Pandora's box of additional cost and let the public see, exactly the extent of cost piled onto their ticket home to visit the family. Miniscule King could actually compare the Direct Operating Cost per seat to the airline; subtract that from the final ticket price , then show Joe Public the imposed mark up for providing a self serving autocracy which has no interest in anything else but bonus and being a great cut-out between incompetent ministers and the mug punters paying for it all – and then some.
"As such, I claim public interest immunity over documents subject to the Orders."
BOLLOCKS, shameless, unmitigated BOLLOCKS...........Release the documents and shame the Devil...(Had to get that off my chest!).
Toot - toot.