Playing against a stacked deck.
GD – “Yep, it’s all just a big game.”
Concur – now, as of last Estimates it is a not even a fair game. The committee is not even ‘fair-game’. Sitting ducks all under the O’Sofullame fluttering hands; (I’d love to play poker with him). The committee is so different now – for example. I had the pleasure of talking with Glenn Sterle one time – he said, straight up, that he didn’t understand a thing, so I explained it, he got it, said thank you and used the information to great effect. Top bloke, (politics aside) true blue and dinky-di. Now he ‘get’s it’ and ‘see’s’ the problems. He worked hard in harness with the Heff’ and, admittedly they didn’t quite mange to ring the changes; but they did ring the bell and never, not ever, did ASA, ATSB or even the mighty CASA manage to wipe the toilet bowl with them.
Last Estimates – ATSB blatantly took the Mickey out of the committee; and, they were allowed to exit, without a shot being fired over the SS Pel-Air as she steamed away from trouble. O’Sofullame is purported to be an ex copper; must be true – he was certainly caught ‘flat-footed’ last time out of the gates- the opposition gleefully romped away, not truly believing a whole Estimates committee had swallowed the bait. This would have been acceptable provided it was ‘fresh meat’, but it wasn’t. The vomitus part is that there was a carefully prepared, fully documented briefing transported to Canberra – at the committee’s request mind you – on the ATSB report and the Pel-Air debacle. I’ve rarely seen The Old man (TOM) as cranky as he was after that complete waste of time. The thumb drive containing the research came home with him; the Estimates went on without that information – the rest is history.
Then, to add insult to injury; we all sat through the CASA version of the Falcon’s story. What a disgusting exhibition that was. The CASA construct was smoke and mirrors, with some very shaky stage scenery; had O’Sofullame been ‘receptive’ and read the offered briefing – he and his committee could have moved the mirrors, turned off the smoke and revealed the tawdry production for the deception it was.
For years now, I have tried to understand why politicians are afraid to take on the aviation agencies – its not as though they would be unsupported, by the big end of town. Take Qantas for example – how much would they benefit from a reformed ‘rule set’ – just in compliance costs alone; the passengers may not see a reduction in prices but the reduction in compliance costs alone would raise a cheer from their investors.
Were it not for a few notable exceptions, you’d be forgiven for rating the senate estimates committee along side the CASA board; an expensive rubber stamp, without the prerequisite knowledge, or backbone, to put a stopper in the ATSB/ CASA bottle of slow poison. P7 is still wondering why O’Sofullame went to work, without the toolkit and sat around all day, doing SFA and claimed the pay for doing so. “Is he part of the problem?” this is being discussed in great detail at our own ‘esi-mates’ meetings. Ayup, ‘tis entertaining enough until you see the destruction and count the cost; then it becomes a never ending black comedy, bad enough when the good guys are in opposition; pathetic when the 'good guys' are aiding and abetting the sting.
Toot toot.
P2 edit - speaking of stacked decks?
QON (see pic):
![[Image: Jerry_Nelson_Mr_Johnson.jpg]](http://auntypru.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Jerry_Nelson_Mr_Johnson.jpg)
GD – “Yep, it’s all just a big game.”
Concur – now, as of last Estimates it is a not even a fair game. The committee is not even ‘fair-game’. Sitting ducks all under the O’Sofullame fluttering hands; (I’d love to play poker with him). The committee is so different now – for example. I had the pleasure of talking with Glenn Sterle one time – he said, straight up, that he didn’t understand a thing, so I explained it, he got it, said thank you and used the information to great effect. Top bloke, (politics aside) true blue and dinky-di. Now he ‘get’s it’ and ‘see’s’ the problems. He worked hard in harness with the Heff’ and, admittedly they didn’t quite mange to ring the changes; but they did ring the bell and never, not ever, did ASA, ATSB or even the mighty CASA manage to wipe the toilet bowl with them.
Last Estimates – ATSB blatantly took the Mickey out of the committee; and, they were allowed to exit, without a shot being fired over the SS Pel-Air as she steamed away from trouble. O’Sofullame is purported to be an ex copper; must be true – he was certainly caught ‘flat-footed’ last time out of the gates- the opposition gleefully romped away, not truly believing a whole Estimates committee had swallowed the bait. This would have been acceptable provided it was ‘fresh meat’, but it wasn’t. The vomitus part is that there was a carefully prepared, fully documented briefing transported to Canberra – at the committee’s request mind you – on the ATSB report and the Pel-Air debacle. I’ve rarely seen The Old man (TOM) as cranky as he was after that complete waste of time. The thumb drive containing the research came home with him; the Estimates went on without that information – the rest is history.
Then, to add insult to injury; we all sat through the CASA version of the Falcon’s story. What a disgusting exhibition that was. The CASA construct was smoke and mirrors, with some very shaky stage scenery; had O’Sofullame been ‘receptive’ and read the offered briefing – he and his committee could have moved the mirrors, turned off the smoke and revealed the tawdry production for the deception it was.
For years now, I have tried to understand why politicians are afraid to take on the aviation agencies – its not as though they would be unsupported, by the big end of town. Take Qantas for example – how much would they benefit from a reformed ‘rule set’ – just in compliance costs alone; the passengers may not see a reduction in prices but the reduction in compliance costs alone would raise a cheer from their investors.
Were it not for a few notable exceptions, you’d be forgiven for rating the senate estimates committee along side the CASA board; an expensive rubber stamp, without the prerequisite knowledge, or backbone, to put a stopper in the ATSB/ CASA bottle of slow poison. P7 is still wondering why O’Sofullame went to work, without the toolkit and sat around all day, doing SFA and claimed the pay for doing so. “Is he part of the problem?” this is being discussed in great detail at our own ‘esi-mates’ meetings. Ayup, ‘tis entertaining enough until you see the destruction and count the cost; then it becomes a never ending black comedy, bad enough when the good guys are in opposition; pathetic when the 'good guys' are aiding and abetting the sting.
Toot toot.
P2 edit - speaking of stacked decks?
QON (see pic):