That's very true. Though CASA can't be blamed for the ASIC situation, that was DOTARS. In fact for a long time C of V holders didn't need a security check, unless of course they wanted to go to a security controlled airport, because the ASIC was only needed for CASA licence holders - a bit of an anomaly, just like RA Aus people (still) not needing a security check to fly in exactly the same airspace.
The reason we lost all the overseas hour builders and self-fly holidaymakers overnight was because of CLARC being created...where they used to fil in the form and take it to the local office, do the checkride then collect the certificate, which took a couple of hours, once CLARC was created and it all had to be processed in Can'tberra it started to take about 9 months.
Lead Balloon hit the nail on the head with the privatisation issue as well.
As for FEE-HELP it seems to have been a poison chalice for some schools. You have to wonder if they would have failed so spectacularly if it hadn't been available.