http://www.aopa.com.au/forum/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=109
PRESS RELEASE – AOPA BOARD CRUMBLES
This evening AOPA president Marjorie Pagani resigned from the board following what she described as improper conduct by former vice-president Gary Gaunt, who remains on the board as secretary. Gaunt was demoted from the VP’s job last week in Sydney after the board became aware that he had written to the Minister for Transport’s aviation adviser, and the Australian Democrats, advising that AOPA no longer supported the Notice of Motion moved by the Democrats to disallow the amendments to the Civil Aviation Regulations which imposed strict liability on almost all offences. Pagani had campaigned long and hard on behalf of AOPA for the removal of the strict liability provisions, which had been tabled without industry consultation, and without AOPA’s knowledge. At the eleventh hour, Gaunt had advised the Democrats and the Minister’s office that AOPA no longer wanted the regulations disallowed, and that Pagani’s representations were taken independently of the board. The board had not sanctioned Gaunt’s actions, and he was subsequently removed from his position as vice-president. Pagani said that she refused to remain on the board of AOPA whilst Gaunt held any executive position, and that his actions had done irreparable damage to both AOPA and to justice for Australian pilots.
Pagani said that whilst she would continue to campaign for fairness in aviation reform, she would resign from AOPA. She said that although she was extremely disappointed in the tabling of the strict liability provisions of the CARs, she nevertheless applauded Deputy Prime Minister John Anderson, and the National Airspace Implementation Group led by Mike Smith, for the recent advances in Australian airspace reform.
