Aviation policy for the new age – HERE
–
Last bets; midnight – New years eve; then I’ll close the tote for betting on the DATE of the election. The money is fairly evenly spread over a range of dates; the February odds shortening (pun?); odds for months toward mid year progressively longer, as time goes by.
It’s often said that there are no votes in aviation and that the various parties are very comfortable with the ‘bi-partisan’ approach, resting on the ‘mystique’ of aviation and hiding responsibility behind the well rehearsed mantra “CASA knows best”. Aviation gets perhaps a two line throw away mention in policy and the political hands are clean. Even NX steps carefully around ‘policy’; Albo’s crowd could, if they tried hard care a little less and we have seen the Lib/Nats in action for the last while; Truss leading from the rear.
Matters aeronautical may not be a game changer; but there are many lives, which, by extension are affected by the well being of the industry. From the owner of the airport coffee shop to security companies, to the CEO of major operations. All, in one form or another have a serious investment in aviation. Those people have family which can be influenced; an apprenticeship or a job lost is, for those folk, a serious matter. Those families with any connection to or reliance on aviation need to do some thinking – of the serious variety.
Would you vote for a party without a policy on a major industry? One that directly affected your life, course not. You’d want to know that at least there was some form of plan in place to foster and promote trade. You most certainly would not accept a statement from Turnbull that Taxation was out of their hands, beyond their control and in the hands of a mindless, untouchable bureaucracy. Can you imagine the response if the Treasurer came out and stated that management of Taxation policy and the departmental operation was beyond his remit or control; now made a law unto themselves. There be riots before morning tea.
So why do we tolerate this exact situation for aviation? The ‘standard’ Bollocks is ‘safety’, consider fiscal safety or border security or mining or agriculture – are those matters left unattended by the incumbent minister – in the hands of a few ‘experts; NO, they are not. We drown in policy, politicians live or die by ‘policy’ and promises to keep the policy; we vote on policy statements. FCOL there are policies for policies in every field – bar aviation. Why is it so?
Don’t ask why; if you are associated in any way with the aviation industry you need to pay attention and a lack of policy for aviation is no more acceptable for that, than it would be for healthcare or foreign trade.
Look over toward the WA government; they have plans for aviation and a policy toward improving it, expanding it and creating jobs and wealth through that expansion, ultimately for the benefit of their State. Of course they are stymied – the Feds would not lend them the dough to move forward; but I get the feeling that WA will forge ahead and shame the Feds, creating a healthy industry which provides essential services to big revenue industry; according to their stated, clearly defined policy. Bravo WA.
Anyway – get your bet on before New year, it may give you a passing interest in the upcoming gabfest – sans matters aeronautical.
Toot toot.
