When the original OAR chief was announced two of the very obvious candidates (both Australian and both with considerable experience in the airspace policy business) were harangued by a (then and still now) senior bureaucrat in the Department because he thought they had not applied. Speaking to both of them later I came to understand that they had both applied but had been deleted from the list by the head hunters in the first pass before that list was passed to those charged with making the selection. "Why", , you may ask. The rumour is that the headhunters were "advised" by a very prominent Australian aviation personality that the head of OAR should not be an Australian and that an international candidate should be selected to ensure past history was not carried forward.
Yes, what a
calamity (!) that was! He almost destroyed the then RAPAC process by not wanting to engage or consult on almost anything. Many had a party when he was shown the door.