Has anyone got a link to the report?
But this is Pprune, so I won't let the facts get in the way of a good chance to postulate and point fingers prematurely.
I would have thought the way to go about fixing problems was first to ensure the problems were properly identified? At first glance, it looks like the goal of this new body is ensure that no crash reports are released in a form which could be damaging to:
a) the future of the aviation minister, and;
b) the goals and aspirations of the political party to which he/she is affiliated.
Another layer between the politicians and the duty to the department they are supposed to represent? Another group to take the blame so that the least amount of crap winds up on the minister's desk?
CASA's just a shell of what it should be. The ANO's and ANR's are a shambles. The legislative aspect of CASA is almost non-existent. The executive aspect has a couple of figureheads supposedly in charge of leading an under-resourced rabble without the benefit of tangible goals and with no effective vision extending past the next federal election. The unspoken and over-riding goal is to avoid being in the spotlight at the next federal inquiry.
For the past 15 years, both CASA and Airservices have become so focussed on reducing costs, that the managers have lost sight of the forest. Parliamentary meddling and executive affirmation (backstabbing?) in kneejerk response to critical press releases from soapbox orators has torpedoed many worthy projects and all but nixed enthusiasm for nurturing long-term projects.
If Albanese really wants to shape up the aviation industry in this country, he'll throw his support and funding behind effective legislative and executive departments, whether they be integrated or separate, and their goals, actions and determinations. Torres has stated it succinctly. Creating another department is just muddying the waters. It's another step in filling the aviation administration 'industry' with even more executives to circle and protect the minister and forgetting the need to service the Australian public and aviation industry. Trying to sort out the layers of duties and responsibilites during the future federal inquiry is going to take years.
Last edited by Lodown; 24th Mar 2008 at 16:55.