Mainframe 
On the whole, the regulator has some fine people working for them.
And as you correctly observe, they may also have a small rogue element, as BB recently discovered.
On the whole, the industry has some fine people working within it. And it too has a small rogue element.
Quite so;
The "Phelan papers" meticulously document the history of misconduct, (CASA) and will continue to do so.
Quite so;
AND he would gain some
real credibility if he were also to;
meticulously document the history of misconduct,
of the operators whom he is wont to describe as the "victims".
Two wrongs don't make a right and neither is justice served by a self serving journalistic beating up without the other side being appropriately represented.
It is true that in the past, despite the pathetic bleating of self appointed retired airline captain gurus, the only thing that they, CASA (and I may exclude the TVL bits) or whatever they may have been called at the time, may be guilty of, is the lack of a really effective apparatus to prosecute the real villains in the industry.
I can hear the howls of limelight deprived anguish in the background, preparation of stakes for witches burning thereof and with the usual demonising of anybody who suggests that CASA may well have had some justification, however misused, in attempting to prosecute their mission.
I.E regulating the industry, fairly and equitably..
Mr. Byron has a difficult task; there is/are no end of people in the organisation who are very capable of supporting him. The problem is that they are so gunshy, (see journalistic beating up above) that it will take no end of encouragement and building of trust within the organisation to winkle them out.
Mr. Byron has the means, ably supported by Mr. Gemmel, mr Cook and Ms Hinder to whom we should give our unequivocal support; we do not have any choice.
The serious almost terminal damage they are earnestly trying to repair is a result of the unrelenting years (about a decade or so circa 1995 RH Smith et al) of egomaniacal posturing of self appointed “industry gurus”.
That was then this is now.
Get with the programme people, or bugger off.
