[Peetwo]

SBG: Letters of despair -

In reference to Sandy's post, here follows a non-abbreviated version off one of the regular email chains, which IMO translates a far greater message than the abbreviated version...  

Gentlemen,


I'm asking if the plan for another meeting is still a live consideration? 

This could be a game changer if thoroughly planned to maximise publicity. I would have thought that at last we have a united front to present to the general public and media. 

AOPA's rational plan for medical exam reforms have not been accepted, apparently they are looking at it. Until action you would have to be foolish to believe they will move on this.  Has the Minister or the Board said one word about the merit of such a reform? All talk no action, situation normal, feed the chooks. 

Otherwise it would seem that through it all we have achieved little or nothing. From what one hears AVMED are processing approvals in a more timely manner. This is great progress. 

Looks like we've achieved a review of the decline of GA. Is this a joke?

They are working on (mild) Forsyth reforms and Pelair might be all revealed one of these days. Gosh....

John Quadrio, Dom James etc smashed, not a hint of restitution. 

Hundreds or thousands (?) of variations to ICAO standards. 

A rule set 27 years and hundreds of millions in the making being made 'workable', sort of, with dozens (hundreds?) of exemptions. 

Pilots coming in on 457 working visas, seems we don't train enough for our own market. 

Unique Aussie rules that handicap us from competing in world markets. Maintenance personnel another disaster area, see AMROBA valiantly trying to inject reason, to promote a healthy industry. All on deaf ears. 

ADS B, no change.

Fee gouging running unabated, can you believe $8000 and six months, using the CASA standard manual, for a single instructor flying school? I'm told this was an exceptionally low price.

No publicity and no political incentive or leadership equals no change. Our public masters rule the roost and take the money home as usual. What happened to the Tamworth momentum? 

Very disapointed that AOPA has given any word of support for yet another review, if we sit and wait again we simply play their game. Over and over and over again they treat us like children, offering up another toffee apple, or perhaps a better analogy, a carrot to the donkey. 

Sandy

 
So Sandy nails it and "K" translates the frustrating dichotomy and the only real hope the industry has:

...To paraphrase both Shakespeare and Falkner “Tamworth was full of sound and fury – signifying Nada”. There was nothing to capitalize on, nothing to build on and no interest from the government. Now if we wanted to campaign for ‘land rights for gay whales’ we may stand a chance, even get a grant to research ‘ways and means’. There’s more chance of that happening than there is of the CASA leopard changing it’s spots, under ministerial edict. Even if DDDD had the interest, the  balls and the brains to do anything, they’d just tell him, Oh, so politely to piss off.

Smartest thing AOPA did was to sign up with TAAAF. At least then the ‘pressure’ (commercial, legal and operational) that can and will if required, be brought to bear on small, dependent groups can be distributed and sound advice from serious players can be provided to relieve the pressures...

I am in agreement with both Sandy & Kharon that with the repeated obfuscation of 80 odd recommendations and many worthwhile findings from independent reviews, parliamentary inquiries, Senate Estimate inquisitions etc; that time is well past any real, sincere political fix to the industry woes.

However maybe within the current balance of power and the make up of the Senate there is a real political pressure point that a combined TAAAF/industry could effectively exploit...

Recently (11 October) LDP Senator Leyonhjelm surprisingly got up a private members motion for a Senate Inquiry into red tape:

Leyonhjelm looks to slash the red tape
October 11, 2016
The Senate agreed today to launch an inquiry into red tape.
To be led by Liberal Democrats Senator David Leyonhjelm, the Senate Select Committee will provide a rare overview of how red tape imposed on us by three levels of government affects our economy and impacts on our lives.
Senator Leyonhjelm says the inquiry will take a fresh look at how much bureaucratic oversight we really need.
“There are nearly 500 bodies involved in policy design at the commonwealth level alone, and many of them are red tape factories,” Senator Leyonhjelm said. “This would help explain why Australian businesses and individuals are now burdened by over 30,000 different licenses, permits and approvals.
“This mindset also helps explain why construction of the Roy Hill iron ore mine required 4147 licences, permits and approvals, and why it costs $10,000 and 847 hours of training to become a hairdresser in NSW,” he said.
One study by the Institute of Public Affairs estimates red tape costs us more than $176 billion in foregone economic output annually.
Senator Leyonhjelm said public submissions will be called for later this year.
“I encourage members of the public to think about making submissions to the inquiry, because this will help to guide the direction of the hearings that will start next year.”

Senator Leyonhjelm put forward the proposition that a 'red tape' committee be formed under the following resolutions:

Committee Resolution:

1. That a select committee, to be known as the Red Tape Committee, be established to inquire into and report on, by 1 December 2017, the effect of restrictions and prohibitions on business (red tape) on the economy and community, with particular reference to:
   
   1. the effects on compliance costs (in hours and money), economic output, employment and government revenue, with particular attention to industries, such as mining, manufacturing, tourism and agriculture, and small business;
      
   2. any specific areas of red tape that are particularly burdensome, complex, redundant or duplicated across jurisdictions;
      
   3. the impact on health, safety and economic opportunity, particularly for the low-skilled and disadvantaged;
      
   4. the effectiveness of the Abbott, Turnbull and previous governments’ efforts to reduce red tape;
      
   5. the adequacy of current institutional structures (such as Regulation Impact Statements, the Office of Best Practice Regulation and red tape repeal days) for achieving genuine and permanent reductions to red tape;
      
   6. alternative institutional arrangements to reduce red tape, including providing subsidies or tax concessions to businesses to achieve outcomes currently achieved through regulation;
      
   7. how different jurisdictions in Australia and internationally have attempted to reduce red tape; and
      
   8. any related matters.
      
2. That the committee consist of 7 senators, 2 nominated by the Leader of the Government in the Senate, 1 nominated by the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, 1 nominated by the Leader of the Australian Greens, and 3 to be nominated by other parties and independent senators.
   
3. That:
   
   1. participating members may be appointed to the committee on the nomination of the Leader of the Government in the Senate, the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, the Leader of the Australian Greens or any other party or any independent senator;
      
   2. participating members may participate in hearings of evidence and deliberations of the committee, and have all the rights of members of the committee, but may not vote on any questions before the committee; and
      
   3. a participating member shall be taken to be a member of the committee for the purpose of forming a quorum of the committee.
      
4. That 3 members of the committee constitute a quorum of the committee.
   
5. That the committee may proceed to the dispatch of business notwithstanding that all members have not been duly nominated and appointed and notwithstanding any vacancy.
   
6. That the committee elect as chair and deputy chair a member nominated by the aforementioned other parties and independent senators.
   
7. That the deputy chair shall act as chair when the chair is absent from a meeting of the committee or the position of chair is temporarily vacant.
   
8. That the chair, or the deputy chair when acting as chair, may appoint another member of the committee to act as chair during the temporary absence of both the chair and deputy chair at a meeting of the committee.
   
9. That, in the event of an equality of voting, the chair, or the deputy chair when acting as chair, has a casting vote.
   
10. That the committee have power to send for and examine persons and documents, to move from place to place, to sit in public or in private, notwithstanding any prorogation of the Parliament or dissolution of the House of Representatives, and have leave to report from time to time its proceedings, the evidence taken and such interim recommendations as it may deem fit.
    
11. That the committee be provided with all necessary staff, facilities and resources and be empowered to appoint persons with specialist knowledge for the purposes of the committee with the approval of the President.
    
12. That the committee be empowered to print from day to day such documents and evidence as may be ordered by it, and a daily Hansard be published of such proceedings as take place in public.
    

Now IOS members may make derogatory comments like..

"..Not another bloody inquiry.."

.."or just a bunch of independent, no nothing, Senator Wannabes trying to make a name for themselves" ..but here is what the respected IPA (Institute of Public affairs) said about the Senator Leyonhjelm initiative:

MEDIA RELEASE
| Evan Mulholland
Free market think tank the Institute of Public Affairs welcomes Liberal Democrat Senator David Leyonhjelm's establishment of a Senate Select Committee into Australia's red tape problem.
"Red tape is Australia's most pressing economic challenge. This inquiry presents an opportunity to revitalise the Commonwealth's red tape reduction agenda," said IPA spokesperson Evan Mulholland.
"Institute of Public Affairs research estimates that red tape costs Australia more than $176 billion in foregone economic output every year. That translates into a staggering $19,300 red tape cost per Australian household."
"IPA research has found that red tape is particularly burdensome for mining, agriculture and small business. Red tape holds back development, slows job creation and hampers Australian prosperity."
"The IPA believes the Senate Select Committee should particularly focus on environmental approvals, legal delays to major projects and red tape harming small businesses."
"Only by cutting red tape will the Turnbull government or a future Labor government be able to deliver the economic growth and prosperity they are promising."
"The IPA urges industries and businesses to contribute to this Senate Select Committee to expose the heavy red tape burden imposed by all levels of government in Australia," said Mr Mulholland.
For media and comment: Evan Mulholland, Media and Communications Manager, on 0405 140 780, or at emulholland@ipa.org.au
 
Download document

CASA's 30+years & 300+million dollars of RRP - for what?? 

IMO this could be a perfect opportunity for industry, with the TAAAF leading, to create a classic 'case study' for the Senate committee on the extreme damage that 'red tape' can inflict on an industry and these guys hold the balance of power - just saying..


MTF...P2