You are correct, Wren. It’s just one of many tactics pollies use to justify doing nothing.
Unless Dick uses his profile to threaten the cosy major party duopoly, nothing with change. Dick has to either publicly campaign for a vote against all major party candidates (and mean it) or get the support of a critical mass of cross-bench Senators.
And he has to stop listening to them whenevever their lips are moving.
The only thing that counts is actions, not words. Reviews are not actions: They are stalling tactics. Inquiries are not actions: They are stalling tactics. Senate Committee hearings are political pantomime.
Amending legislation is action. Funding airport infrastructure is action. Enforcing airport leases and, if necessary, varying them so that airports remain airports, is action. Terminating the 457 visa scheme for pilots is action. Terminating the regulatory ‘reform’ program and sacking the self-licking icecream of people working on it is action. Terminating the endless fiddling and speculation on airspace and frequency arrangements is action.
Whatever the list of actions happen to be, Dick has to continue to use his public profile to threaten the cosy major party duopoloy until the actions have occurred and not before.