Susan McDonald isn’t happy but forgets that Parliament is responsible
Another shameful exhibition of the amateurish running of CASA by a CEO who is completely out of her depth. One could be forgiven for believing that after Ms Spence’s last appearance at McDonald’s Senate RRAT hearing (not long ago, see video elsewhere) she might have been prepared.
But no we are paying her $650,000 pa and her senior managers c. $500,000+ and they can’t answer questions about any of the hot issues around GA. The lack of respect to the Senators, let alone to us criminals who fly planes is palpable.
Little will change until and unless it’s recognised that there are two fundamental contradictions stemming from the Act.
1/. As Barnaby J. says he and Parliament are responsible and CASA is independent.
2/. The Act requires that ‘safety’ is the highest consideration, but that costs should be weighed.
By giving CASA the power to interpret these irreconcilable elements, CASA, salary factory and make work specialist, will always default to the human nature position of looking after its own interests.
The model of governance is wrong, the democratic element of the Westminster system demands that the administration of government is overseen by elected officials, in this case a Minister responsible for a regular Department of Government. An independent corporate monopoly, provider of ever more permissions to which are attached swingeing fees, will never change into a group of wonderful individuals bent on providing the least impediment to free enterprise aviation at the lowest cost.
Rather everything can be directed to safety which trumps a healthy GA industry. Ring write contact media and your MPs and State Senators.