[Peetwo]

AOPA Oz, via FB: https://www.facebook.com/pg/AOPAaustrali...e_internal

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POLITICAL HYPOCRISY: PRIVATISATION APPARENTLY NO GOOD, SAYS ALBANESE

The Sydney Morning Herald - February 15-16th, 2020: Apparently the former ALP Transport Minister and serving ALP Leader, The Hon Anthony Albanese, thinks privatising national assets is thoroughly inappropriate!

“Sydney Harbour is a National asset, not a money-making venture... if you have long term leases and an alienation of public space, then that is defacto privatisation. This is a precious resource, not a play thing for corporate interests.”, The Hon Anthony Albanese MP.

What a shame our politicians - from all sides - did not hold the same conviction when they sold out our national airport infrastructure, only for it to become the ‘play-thing of corporate interests’.

The privatisation of Australia's general aviation airports has inflicted significant damage on our industry and aviation economy, and continues to do so unabated.

For many within the industry, it's too late, having been destroyed through unsustainable increases in rents, fees and charges, that have skyrocketed since privatisation some 20 years ago.

Over the past two decades, during a time that thousands of industry participants wrote to and called on our various Minister's for Transport - of which the Hon Anthony Albanese MP was one of, where were the strong voices of opposition to privatisation then? Where were the calls to protect the interests of Australian's dependent on access to our airport assets?

Both sides of government have ignored the warnings and pleas of our industry, with countless businesses and individuals driven broke and out of aviation entirely.

Both sides have been almost silent with respect to the damage inflicted and neither have stood up to the privatised profiteering and financial rape we have all been subjected to.

Australia's airports are very much a national asset, and aircraft owners and pilots have been alienated from their access and use - all in the interests of corporate profits.

Like Sydney Harbour and a vast array of other community and public infrastructure, our airports are a precious resource too and they should NEVER have been allowed to become the play-thing that they now are for profit-hungry privatised owners.

AOPA Australia is proudly standing up for our industry and highlighting the political hypocrisy which we are enduring.

BENJAMIN MORGAN
CEO | AOPA Australia

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Min Stokes Albo was the transport minister who turned a blind eye to unconscionable practices against tenants by the airport leaseholders. He condoned big business trampling all over small businesses. And talking of hypocrisy it was his mate Garrett who approved the bulldozers to destroy hundreds of acres of endangered wildlife habitat.

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David Young Imagine the headline in 30 years time! Nothing like history repeating itself!

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Klaus Herrmann Not sure how that is in line with AOPAs guidelines

Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Australia Appreciate your comment Klaus Herrmann, however, would you agree that holding our political leaders - from all sides of government - to account for what they say and what they do, is very much in-line with protecting our collective freedom to fly?

The privatisation of Australia's general aviation airports has inflicted significant damage on our industry and aviation economy, and continues to do so unabated.

For many within the industry, it's too late, having been destroyed through unsustainable increases in rents, fees and charges, that have skyrocketed since privatisation some 20 years ago.

Over the past two decades, during a time that thousands of industry participants wrote to and called on our various Minister's for Transport - of which the Hon Anthony Albanese MP was one of, where were the strong voices of opposition to privatisation then? Where were the calls to protect the interests of Australian's dependent on access to our airport assets?

Both sides of government have ignored the warnings and pleas of our industry, with countless businesses and individuals driven broke and out of aviation entirely.

Both sides have been almost silent with respect to the damage inflicted and neither have stood up to the privatised profiteering and financial rape we have all been subjected to.

Australia's airports are very much a national asset, and aircraft owners and pilots have been alienated from their access and use - all in the interests of corporate profits.

Like Sydney Harbour and a vast array of other community and public infrastructure, our airports are a precious resource too and they should NEVER have been allowed to become the play-thing that they now are for profit-hungry privatised owners.

AOPA Australia is proudly standing up for our industry and highlighting the political hypocrisy which we are enduring.

BENJAMIN MORGAN
CEO | AOPA Australia

Plus:

SENATOR REX PATRICK: WHYALLA AND PORT LINCOLN AIR ROUTES AT RISK

Two weeks ago the Minister for Home Affairs, Peter Dutton, tabled a regulation in the Parliament that will require metal and x-ray screenings at Port Lincoln and Whyalla airports. The Government will pay the one off equipment purchase costs, but not the ongoing operating costs.


The consequence of this regulation will be that local council will have to pay approx $700,000 per annum to operate the equipment. Undoubtedly, the council will pass on these costs to airlines servicing the two locations.

“The new security regulations are guaranteed to drive up the cost of air travel for those needing access to Whyalla and Port Lincoln, and will also result in higher airport user fees and charges for general aviation users as airport operators scramble to recover their losses”, AOPA Australia CEO Benjamin Morgan.

“Government is dumping the problem of national security onto local councils, with no regard as to how these costs will be recovered. The Government needs to take responsibility for these security costs,” he said.

Regional Express and Qantas have told a Senate committee in the last parliament that these costs will make some routes economically unviable for passengers. Qantas mentioned Port Lincoln and Whyalla specifically saying that the Government “would put in jeopardy those services entirely”.

South Australian Senator, Rex Patrick, has moved a dis-allowance motion in the Senate to stop the screening going ahead until the Government agrees to cover the operation costs. The Senate will vote on the matter on 12 May.

“National security measures are national costs, not council costs. I’m hoping Labor supports me in the disallowance. I’m also hoping local Federal MP Rowan Ramsey will do his job and put loyalty to his constituents ahead of his loyalty to the Liberal party.” Senator Rex Patrick.

“Federal legislation that could see the Whyalla Airport saddled with up to $700,000 in on-going operational costs has been tabled in Parliament.” he said.

Cost crisis for regional airports

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MTF...P2