Good for Hitch, agree GD, at least you don’t need the hardworking bucket at hand to read his commentary. Commentary which, as far as it goes is balanced and reasoned; I just wonder if Hitch and other similar commentators will go a little deeper.
The reform of the ‘regulations’ has been a farce, we can all agree on that; but I wonder why? It is as much in the regulators interests to reform the regulations as it is for industry. Less prosecution and ‘administrative’ actions, less investigation, less friction with industry; a realistic rule set would reduce the cost of running CASA and the incidence of ‘accidental’ or manufactured breach. So, I wonder at the delays and the absence of simple law, written in plain English.
The obsession with ‘micro-management’ is one; the need for legal loopholes and ‘gotcha’ clauses is another. Then of course there is the ‘power’ built in which leaves CASA in complete control without any accountability, lots of wriggle room, or the need to ‘prove’ anything under the rules of evidence, in a court of law. Administrative embuggerance is an in house sport. Skidmore has utterly failed to acknowledge this in any way, shape or form and yet it remains one industries top complaints; albeit a muted one, for fear of retribution – FACT.
The next big ticket item which has been ignored is the subjective, personalised interpretation of a rule (or part thereof) to suit a predetermined purpose; particularly in pursuit of an operator or individual. There are countless instances where this has happened and continues to happen. This has not been addressed. Both of these items require balls, tenacity and determination; alas…..
Forsyth’s ASRR review sighted the reform of CASA being more (equally) as important as the reform of regulation. The rotten apples are still in the barrel, the systems used and the methodology remain unaddressed. Skidmore has made the stand on the regulations, fair enough and bravo; but then it’s over to ‘legal’, principal established, get busy drafting. Which leaves him little to do once that’s off his desk. Now he needs to get a grip on the real issues, those that will, with little effort or time, give him credibility as the man who actually reformed CASA.
The gods know, it needs doing. Floating about and making speeches, chatting with tame operators and writing fluffy, trite little letters to his ‘troops’ ain’t good enough, not by a long shot. There’s some real dragons to slay out there for a wannabe hero.
Does Skidmore want to do the job properly, or just look pretty? We still don’t know, but on past performance, it’s a show pony not a charger. We need St George, not Oliver Twist.
Selah.
