[Peetwo]

The truth about ASICs & airport screening.

Well finally the Hansard is out from the 24 November (A&A security Senate inquiry - Allan Kessing) public hearing - Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee
(Senate-Thursday, 24 November 2016)

Mr Kessing : Certainly. The passenger screening as we know it is about doing something. 'This is something; therefore, we have done something.' It is not effective; in fact, I believe it is deleterious. The really high profile cases, of which most people are aware, are the so-called shoe bomber and the underwear bomber. Both of those individuals passed through the most highly regulated and security-conscious airports in the world. In the case of the underwear bomber, he passed through four of them on interchanges in Heathrow in Britani and Schiphol in Netherlands. They were not detected, and yet, because they were failures, we now have to go through these procedures. I maintain that I would not feel safe were there no passenger screening these days but only as a facade to stop the fool.
       
It has been often found both in criminal and in terrorist organisations that many put themselves forward to be warriors or participants and they are rejected by those organisations because they are just loose cannons. If it were not for screening, there would be a chance that such a loose cannon with no affiliation would try to do something stupid. So the screening, however ineffective, must remain purely as a very visible deterrent. However, I would advocate that the real resources be put into intelligence gathering, proper analysis and proper targeting to stop potential threats before they have breakfast and leave home.

Very much related to this statement from AK in regards to security screening & the overkill ASIC card, I note that earlier in the week Dick Smith sent a Dear John to miniscule 4D:

And today AOPA has swung their support behind the Dick submission:

Dear miniscule - ASIC card AOPA plea.

Via BM (AOPA Oz) this AM:

AOPA Australia calls on the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Mr Darren Chester to effect the ASRR 2014 ASIC recommendation before the close of 2016, giving general aviation relief this Christmas.
 
Friday, 2nd December 2016
 
The Hon Darren Chester MP
Minister for Infrastructure and Transport
House of Representatives
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600, Australia.
 
Dear Minister,
 
I am writing to you on behalf of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) of Australia in full support of Mr Dick Smith’s recent submission to your office regarding Aviation Security Identification Card (ASIC) for general aviation.
 
As you are aware and have acknowledged recently with the announcement of your review into general aviation decline, Australia’s general aviation industry is suffering under the weight of a wide gambit of regulatory and economic pressures that have forced some 8,000+ pilots to exit in just the past 10 years.
 
The industry has experienced the largest decline in aviation businesses throughout the same period, along with the largest skills departure and shortage in the history of general aviation in this country. More than ever, our industry needs your leadership and attention for it to recover and achieve its potential.
 
The decline in general aviation been assisted by unnecessary regulatory overreach which includes the ASIC scheme that was identified during the Aviation Safety Regulation Review (ASRR) May 2014 (“The Forsyth Report”) as having “… a significant regulatory impost on the industry..” and “… without delivering a commensurate security benefit”.
 
The ASRR put forward its recommendation to government in 2014, that specified;
“The Australian Government amends regulations so that background checks and the requirement to hold an Aviation Security Identification Card are only required for unescorted access to Security Restricted Areas (SRA), not for general airside access. This approach would align with international practice.”
 
Nearly two and half years have passed without action on this most important issue.
The AOPA Australia are calling on you Minister to give immediate effect to the ASRR ASIC recommendation, so as to remove this unnecessary regulatory burden before the close of 2016, providing our general aviation industry with your firm commitment for reform.
 
We would appreciate a formal response.
 
Yours sincerely,
 
BENJAMIN MORGAN
Executive Director – Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA)
Mobile:  0415 577 724
 

Considering the track record of this NFI miniscule (i.e. ignore & do nothing) and given that it doesn't appear that AOPA or Dick previously made a submission highlighting these ASIC card issues to the committee, wouldn't now be an excellent time to make those same submissions to this inquiry? After all the inquiry reporting date has now been extended to the 30th of March 2017 and according to AK there is more criminals airside at Sydney airport than you are ever likely to find flying an aircraft and screening is just for shits & giggles, so now my be a perfect time to argue the toss on WOFTAM ASIC cards - just saying...


MTF...P2