[Peetwo]

Dick backs Pauline - "Match made in heaven"


Courtesy the Daily Telegraph... :

Dick Smith will advise Pauline Hanson as she plans an assault on Western Sydney
[img=0x0]http://pixel.tcog.cp1.news.com.au/track/component/article/b73c297b8b3e4624a811bc261a52a788?esi=true&t_template=s3/chronicle-tg_tlc_storyheader/index&t_product=DailyTelegraph&td_device=desktop[/img]EXCLUSIVE: Shari Markson, National Political Editor, The Daily Telegraph
December 6, 2016 12:00am

MILLIONAIRE patriot Dick Smith is backing Pauline Hanson’s tough immigration stance and offering to advise One Nation as the party plans an assault on Western Sydney at the next state and federal elections.

The buy-Australian campaigner will meet with Ms Hanson before Christmas to advise her on policy, predicting she will ride a wave of Trump-like support in traditionally conservative areas such as Sydney’s north shore.

Ms Hanson told The Daily Telegraph she will launch a major campaign in Western Sydney, running One Nation candidates in the next NSW state and federal elections.



It is a move that will petrify both Malcolm Turnbull’s government and the Labor Party.
Mr Smith, an opinionated former Australian of the Year, had an initial conversation with Ms Hanson last week, drawn to speak with her after his friends, long-term Liberal and Labor voters, had embraced One Nation.

“I support her policy on Julian Assange. I support her immigration policy. She says she’s going to have a policy to help general aviation. I’ll certainly support that,” Mr Smith said.

“I agree with her views on immigration numbers, that is about 70,000 a year, not 200,000. But I do not agree with her views on Muslim immigration,” he said.

The retailer is so passionate about curbing Australia’s immigration intake he is planning to pay for an advert protesting Lucy Turnbull’s growth predictions for Sydney. He also authored a book in 2011 titled “Dick Smith’s Population Crisis”.

“I noticed that Pauline’s is about the only political party that has a policy on not having perpetual population growth,” Mr Smith said.

Dick Smith’s move to support Pauline Hanson will petrify both Malcolm Turnbull’s government and the Labor Party.

“That means we’ll end up stabilising our population so young people will be able to afford houses.” Mr Smith has also offered to help Ms Hanson with her aviation policy.

He said he would help her cement the support of tens of thousands of voters who work in the industry.

“Myself and the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association will come up with what needs to be done and I will give her some suggestions,” he said.

“I think she would get tens of thousands of votes from the aviation community because they have been let down by the ALP and Liberals.”

Ms Hanson will target seats across Sydney where, she argues, voters are disillusioned with the major parties and want change.

Mr Smith said he did not agree with Ms Hanson’s position on stopping Muslim immigration, and during their phone conversation asked her some tough questions.

“We will definitely be standing candidates in the next NSW state elections and federally, yes,” Ms Hanson told The Daily Telegraph.

“People are just really fed up with the major parties and screaming out for change.

“I think there’s a move on across the country for One Nation,” she said. “People know I care about the country and the people are sick of career politicians.”

The electronics retailer, once worth $50 million, said he had never donated to a political party and ruled out ­financially backing One Nation.

Traditionally a conservative voter, except during Bob Hawke’s tenure as prime minister, Mr Smith said he may stand for federal Parliament as an independent at the next federal election.

He said his three main platforms would be stopping Australia’s ballooning population, ensuring young Australians can buy their own home and curbing debt.

“So many of my friends who normally voted Coalition reckon they are going to vote for Pauline Hanson,” Dick Smith says.

Mr Smith threatened to run against former Howard government minister Bronwyn Bishop in the last federal election in the NSW seat of Mackellar if the Liberal politician did not retire.

Mr Smith said the support for Ms Hanson all across NSW was palpable — even in the traditionally blue-ribbon north shore area.

“So many of my friends who normally voted Coalition reckon they are going to vote for Pauline Hanson,” he said. “You only have to look at what happened in America with Trump. “People are so disillusioned with our present party politics. Our politicians don’t tell the truth. They’re all actors.”

Mr Smith, an opinionated former Australian of the Year, had an initial conversation with Ms Hanson last week.

“While I wouldn’t say I agreed with all of her policies, I am starting to see why she’s going have incredible support and how completely disappointed people are with the two major parties.” Mr Smith said he did not agree with Ms Hanson’s position on stopping Muslim immigration, and during their phone conversation asked her some tough questions.

“People tend to say that she’s racist. So I asked her, does she think that she’s superior to other races? She said no,” he said.

Update: Via AOPA thread & Oz Flying.

]Sandy Reith Wrote: AOPA is to be congratulated for its work towards GA reform. As a long time member having watched the accelerating decline it is very pleasing to see the organisation taking it up to government. As of today AOPA's CEO Ben Morgan has issued another couple of press releases about the need for immediate relief. This coincides with Dick's support of Pauline Hanson's One Nation, quote;  

" Dick Smith has also offered to help Ms Hanson with her aviation policy.

He said he would help her cement the support of tens of thousands of voters who work in the industry.

“Myself and the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association will come up with what needs to be done and I will give her some suggestions,” he said.

“I think she would get tens of thousands of votes from the aviation community because they have been let down by the ALP and Liberals.”

With this type of political pressure we have the best chance of causing change for the better and the naysayers should take a back seat. It will be a fight with CASA and Transport bureaucrats, they will pull every trick in the book in order to maintain their highly paid cushy jobs. We've come to realise that the interests of the country are not their concern. All power to AOPA's Board for encouraging political action.
For Sandy's benefit here are the two AOPA Media Releases issued today...

Tuesday, 6th December 2016
 
PRESS RELEASE – For immediate release
 
Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) of Australia to work with Queensland Senator, Ms Pauline Hanson’s One Nation and all sides of politics to develop general aviation reform policy.
 
The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) of Australia welcomes interest from all sides of politics with regard to the important issue of general aviation reform, understanding how important it is for the country’s political leaders to have a clear and concise understanding of the challenges facing our industry.
 
The AOPA Australia confirms that it will work with Queensland Senator, Ms Pauline Hanson’s One Nation Party and all other sides of politics to develop a general aviation reform policy framework that can serve to arrest the serious decline of the general aviation industry.
 
The AOPA Australia has recently highlighted to government, that over the past 10 years;
 

• General aviation pilot numbers have declined by 34% (loss of 8,000+ from the industry)
  
• General aviation fuel sales have declined by 35%
  
• Number of general aviation aircraft not flying has increased by over 50% (over 3,000+ aircraft parked)
  

 
The AOPA Australia has called on the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Mr Darren Chester, to;
 

• Amend the Civil Aviation Act so as to require the Civil Aviation Safety Authority to foster and develop aviation, so as to provide growth and opportunity for all Australians
  
• End the wasteful +$300 million taxpayer funded CASA regulatory reform program
  
• Harmonise our regulations to that of the world’s most successful aviation marketplace, the United States and their Federal Aviation Regulations (US FAR).
  

 
The AOPA Australia promotes the following core regulatory values;
 

• Only regulate where necessary
  
• Deregulate everywhere we can
  
• Reduce cost to industry
  
• Create a vibrant and dynamic general aviation industry for all Australians
  

 
Yours Sincerely,
 
BENJAMIN MORGAN
Executive Director - Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) 
 

&..

Tuesday, 6th December 2016

 
PRESS RELEASE – For immediate release
 
Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) of Australia commences work on Minister Chester’s review into General Aviation Decline.
 
The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) of Australia this week met with representatives of the Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics (BITRE) to commence work on Minister Chester’s, review into general aviation decline – the first of a number of meetings planned.
 
Leading the BITRE review team is Director of Aviation Statistics, Mr Glenn Malam, who provided AOPA Australia with government data that confirms graphs released by AOPA Australia in August 2016, showcasing the serious decline in general aviation over the past 10 years, including;
 

• General aviation pilot numbers have declined by 34% (loss of 8,000+ from the industry)
  
• General aviation fuel sales have declined by 35%
  
• Number of general aviation aircraft not flying has increased by over 50% (over 3,000+ aircraft parked)
  

 
The AOPA Australia has put forward a range of valuable feedback during the first meeting, which included;
 

• Amend the Civil Aviation Act so that the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) is required to foster general aviation industry growth and development
  
• Adopt and harmonise to the world’s most successful general aviation regulatory framework, the United States Federal Aviation Regulations
  
• Extend the ADS-B install deadline to 2021 without restriction to both commercial and private operators
  
• Remove unique Australian aging-aircraft requirements (ie. Cessna SIDs)
  
• Remove the unnecessary ASIC requirement for general aviation users
  
• Immediately implement Class 2 Medical Reform to re-introduce thousands of GA pilots to flying
  
• Remove unreasonable industry charges and fees for interactions with the safety regulator
  

 
The AOPA Australia also confirmed its stance on aviation regulatory management;
 

• Only regulate where necessary
  
• Deregulate everywhere we can
  
• Reduce cost to industry
  
• Create a vibrant and dynamic general aviation industry for all Australians
  

 
The BITRE team have until 30th June of 2017 to complete their review and will shortly commence interviewing general aviation business operators seeking to understand the industry’s view with regard to general aviation decline.
 
The AOPA Australia welcomes aircraft owners, pilots and general aviation business operators who would like to provide direct input to this important review to contact the AOPA Australia office by telephone
on: (02) 9791 9099 to register your interest in participating.
 
Best regards,
 
BENJAMIN MORGAN
Executive Director – Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA)

 
&.. from Oz Flying:

Senator Pauline Hanson. AOPA has committed to helping her develop an aviation policy. (composite image)

We'll work with Hanson: AOPA
6 December 2016

The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) has confirmed that it will work with Queensland Senator Pauline Hanson to develop an aviation reform policy for her One Nation Party.

In a statement released today, AOPA CEO Ben Morgan said the association was prepared to work with all political parties when it comes to reform for general aviation.

"[AOPA] welcomes interest from all sides of politics with regard to the important issue of general aviation reform, understanding how important it is for the country’s political leaders to have a clear and concise understanding of the challenges facing our industry," Morgan said.

"[AOPA] confirms that it will work with Queensland Senator, Ms Pauline Hanson’s One Nation Party and all other sides of politics to develop a general aviation reform policy framework that can serve to arrest the serious decline of the general aviation industry."
Earlier today, aviation activist Dick Smith said he also would back Senator Hanson's forthcoming policy on general aviation, telling The Australian he expected Hanson to ride a "Trump-like wave of support".

Hanson, a divisive voice in Australian politics since 1997, was elected to the Senate at last July's federal election along with three other members of her One Nation party

Read more at http://www.australianflying.com.au/lates...qyXV25i.99

Then back to Sandy... : #75

In as I recall 1989 the Berlin Wall came down. No one foresaw that event, triggered as it was by obvious truth. Truth was, and remains 'is', that prosperity and fairness do not derive from super government. It is remarkable that two hundred years have passed since the most of the North Americans overturned the notion that rights are not the perogative of the Crown, i.e. Government. They decided that all power resides in the people, not derived from one exalted person or the oligarchs. This self evident truism has still to take on in Australia. Obvious truth is that general aviation in Australia has suffered grievously from very poor governance. Those of us having watched this slow motion disaster remain appalled at the lack of responsible government action to correct this blot on the life of the nation, let alone the numerous injustices perpetrated on so many individuals.

The likes of Ben Morgan and the Board of AOPA, Dick Smith, Ken Cannane of AMROBA, Phil Hirst, TAAAF and numerous others to inspire reform are working in the interests of Australia. I am hopeful that all the pet theories, the various individual ideas are now coalesced into the one true direction.

With increasing publicity, eg Dick and One Nation, our message of freedom of action, simple rules like road rules, can cause a great burst of GA activity to the benefit of all aviators and the general community. Aerial transport, employment, education, manufacturing, training, airports (private property on landside please) and many other facets of general aviation stand to grow and benefit the whole country.

We would & should support AOPA and whomever stands for our freedom, freedom to exercise our right to fly. The biggest lie, and we are guilty of allowing it, that it is a government given privilege to fly. This must be a priority, to express that to fly is our right, not a government (Crown) privilege.

Well said Sandy - choc frog for that man...


MTF...P2