Dear Mr. Michael McCormack the Honourable Deputy Prime Minister, and Mr. Anthony Mathews the Chair of the Board of CASA.
Mr. McCormack, I am calling on you to apply any pressure you can to encourage the CASA Board to act with integrity, in accordance with CASAs Regulatory Philosophy, and your own Statement of Expectations of the Board of CASA.
Mr. Mathews, you appear to have misunderstood my reasonable request.
I am not seeking to make any allegations, and this particular request has nothing to do with the Ombudsman's Office. I am not seeking a determination, I am merely seeking an explanation.
I am seeking an explanation from CASA as to how the flying school that I owned, with my own employees operating fully in accordance with all CASA approved procedures in place, operating from my building as it had for over a decade, is determined by CASA to be an "unauthorized operation", and forced into closure. This notification came with no prior notification or indication at all from CASA. It is inexplicable, from my perspective.
The Ombudsman's current investigation is not related to this matter and irrespective of this, the Ombudsman's Office has advised that an ongoing investigation does not prevent me from seeking an explanation from CASA, as I am doing now. It is not reasonable that CASA takes action against a business, fails to explain the basis of that action, and will not explain it to the individual affected, but will to the Ombudsman years later. Surely that can't be fair.
It is likely that CASA has provided that explanation to the Ombudsman's Office, so I can see no reason that the same explanation would not be provided to me, as I have been requesting for more than two years.
It is important that I am very clear.
- On 23rd October 2018, CASA wrote advising that my business, Melbourne Flight Training was deemed to be an "unauthorized operation."
- There was no significant change during the business's 12 years of operation that I am aware of that would deem it an "unauthorized operation" by CASA.
- CASA has never explained this action to me in any manner whatsoever. I have no understanding of how CASA arrived at that determination.
- I am not making an allegation, I am merely seeking an explanation
I am fully satisfied that CASA has erred and that they have acted unlawfully. I believe that the CASA Board is aware of this. I believe that there is an attempt by the Board to cover up this matter.
I have firmly bought this matter to the attention of the Deputy Prime Minister, and all members of the National Party. My reasonable expectation is that I will be provided with an explanation by CASA, or directed to a previously supplied copy of an explanation if one exists.
For clarity, I am asking CASA to provide an explanation of this particular determination i.e. that my flying school became an UNAUTHORISED OPERATION. This is a fair and reasonable request.
Respectfully, Glen Buckley