I don't have an issue with the poeple on the board at all. Whether or not they have aviation experience is immaterial in my mind. (They appear to have significant backgrounds in safety regulation and management within safety conscious environments.) If they can lube the wheels of CASA and encourage the staff to move in the necessary direction, then more power to them. I wish them well.
My concern is with a board in the first place. It's real purpose is not to regulate aviation, but keep the wolves from the Minister's back. The issue is not that the board have no aviation experience. It's that one person in parliament: the Minister, is seen to have overall responsibility for aviation. The Minister, who in general, came into office, not because he/she had an interest in aviation, or even transport, but had political ambition. The person in the position is generally not appointed for the best interests of transport or aviation, but for bigger things: as a political strategy to retain power. One person who, for the last 15 years and probably much longer, has made kneejerk decisions and strategic about-faces based on opinion polls, media influence and lobbying. One person commanding an aircraft carrier like it was a destroyer. A Minister who's idea of long term thinking and strategic planning extend no further than the next election.
Airservices was going in the right direction with a CEO-Minister direct chain of command, but that link was too susceptible to meddling by the Minister himself. I like the arrangement in the FAA. No Minister. One person selected for the job based on qualifications from the pool of talent available; responsible and accountable not to one person, but to the nation via Congress. The USA example is not infallible, but the process of a single Minister supposedly directing the regulator in Australia is, in my opinion, no longer an optimum process.
I hope I am proven wrong. I hope the Minister provides the resources and support to the CASA board and has the good sense to step back and defer the strategic goal-setting and operations of the CASA to it's entire management team based on a sound long-term plan.
Last edited by Lodown; 30th Jun 2009 at 23:00.