AirNoServicesAustralia, I do not understand why the Airservices Australia management does not publicly state that they are having difficulty in getting enough ATCs.
For example, many airlines in the world are stating this known fact in relation to pilots. Rex has stated that they have had to close down routes because of a shortage of pilots. Why then isn’t Airservices stating that they are having difficulty in obtaining an adequate number of air traffic controllers?
I can assure you that if I was involved in the management or Board of Airservices, I would be making this very clear. After all, as you state it wasn’t an intentional situation that Airservices Australia has got itself into, but it is a fact of life. Surely there is an obligation to the Minister (and to the people who fly in Australia) to explain the real situation. That is what I’d do anyway.