[Peetwo]

Now that made some *very* interesting viewing.  I have to ask, though (and pardon my ignorance..) what is the expected outcome of these hearings?  Will there be any pressure brought to bear on the minister, or any of the underlings running the show?  Or is it all full of sound and music, but ultimately signifying nothing?

That is the $660,000,000 question ain’t it.   IMO it’s a foregone conclusion, somewhere in the PAIN library is a list of inquiries, reports, commissions etc. from the past quarter century.  All done by Senates of various stripe and colour; none of which have made the slightest bit of difference.  There have been brief flashes of hope, where rules and attitudes were, for brief periods, changed; short lived though they were.

In recent times we have seen CASA, ATSB and now ASA exposed and publicly humiliated, their collective aberrations clearly defined; we have even seen sensible reform proposed and sanctioned by a Minister.  All window dressing.

Meanwhile, in real life, Wodger, Beaker and most of the other bandits happily continue to reek havoc, create mayhem, ignore the law in favour of personal policy and preference.  Do exactly as they bloody well please, unhindered, unfettered, with total immunity.    

Jane Halton (from the excellent Mandarin) “So people decide that there is a particular requirement, a compliance requirement, which appears nowhere in any chief executive instructions or any piece of legislation, and then it becomes a matter of holy writ that you have to do something this particular way.”

“So whilst we are going to do things about the rules, and the red tape in the rules, [this is] one of the messages I’m giving my colleagues. And in fact I’m talking about this in my department, because I have found a number of examples of this in my department.”

CASA have taken this to ridicules lengths – both ways – to ease the way for favourites and decimate those less liked.  

Is change coming? Probably, the but just to cover the tracks, there is no hope of reform, just better avoidance of criticism and arse covering tactics... 

Sadly Ferryman so..so true and if you look at the embuggerance case of Mr Cho Rodgers, that was the subject of the Xenophon/Sterle/Heffernan MOP, then it becomes obvious that the contempt, arrogance & attitude that the CASA/ASA & ATSB executive have for parliamentary process knows no bounds...

More on this and the Stevie Easton Mandarin article that kharon quotes from here, very soon because IMO we need to call out the King (M&M) Mandarin & the Department that he rules, as either incompetent or acting contrary to the public & industry interest.

For now there is much to sift through with the ASA performance inquiry set to continue, probably with the calling of certain members of the Board to a further public hearing.

Tabled the other evening :-

Documents tabled at a public hearing in Canberra on 18 August 2015. &..

Additional information received from Airservices Australia on 18 August 2015.

Here is the part (along with add info link) that I think Senator Bullock etc. were referring to when discussing the probity measures in place for the OneSKY project.. 



However that still leaves the QON by Senator Bullock on where is the documented evidence that the bureaucratic, weasel-worded, probity measures were adhered to??

In terms of the Dick Smith session there is much discussion amongst the PAIN/IOS associates. As an example here is an excellent email reply from Sandy Reith...

..Dick on the record does a great service to GA. It behoves all of us to publicise the totally unnecessary destruction of what should be a healthy Aussie industry. 


There have been those who may have thought that a strict regime would provide a marginal increase in safety. I dispute this concept, with modern avionics such as synthetic vision coupled with recency (healthy industry) and a suite of real time flight information unheard of twenty years ago, there is every reason to realise a greater degree of safety in GA than ever before. 

In any event don't we progress by being a free country? This is certainly the country that I would prefer both for myself and my children and grandchildren. Personal responsibility should rightly be the prerogative of the individual, most private GA flying does not impinge upon the interests of the public at large.

The 'independent government business unit' of CASA and ASA is a fatality flawed concept. Firstly they are virtually unaccountable and secondly 'user pays' with no competition is a complete nonsense. It is now proven to cost the taxpayer and the health of the nation dearly, irrespective of the exorbitant fees collected. ASA is down the drain even as the monopoly provider. CASA talked Minister Albanese into an extra $89.9 million increase in fuel excise, a special one off four year job for 'safety' somethings, a 40% increase in staff results, Minister Truss rolls it on and not a peep is heard. 

Meanwhile, out there in real land.....faint cries in the distance....

Industry is swamped in the latest quagmire and more likely sinking in the quicksands of Part 61. As Dick said half a million moves at BK 20 years ago, a dismal 270k now in spite of population and wealth growth.

Sandy

 
& the Ferryman response to that (& above) sums it up (slightly edited for sensitive info)..

"..Dick is indeed to be congratulated and thanked.  But how is his contribution to be transmogrified into "CHANGE".   Every time there is an opportunity the industry weighs in, provides excellent, professional analysis and options to the govt.  Countless man hours spent drafting submissions etc.   But nothing ever changes, except the stranglehold tightens..   

..Lets hope ASA are the catalyst.  Bravo Dick, well done and thankyou.."

Hmm...'no comment'    

MTF hopefully with the Hansard very soon...P2