My understanding is that the unions have been doing just that - although the reality is that the regulator has overtly and deliberately put FRMS etc on the back burner.
Govts both Howard & Rudd are disinterested unless there is a personal risk to their bodies or their reputations and image. Even with bilaterals, aviation is critical for Australia but nobody in Canberra has the ability to listen to those that know.
It is an absolute sham and like the whole management of the aviation portfolio the task has been delegated to non operational, 9 to 5 (oops I mean 8:40 to 4:35) flexiday bureaucrats who seem to grasp more foreskin than foresight.
All that said very few pilots & CC would bother to write to the Minister. Also very few would bother to write to the CEO of CASA and challenge the non decisions and non action.
Don't think for a minute that the flying and non flying public care - and even if there's one that goes into the terrain, a few weeks after the funerals it'll be back to AFL, NRL or Britney Spears on the front page.
If we're serious- every person in Australian aviation needs to put pen to paper TODAY -and ask the Minister a few hard questions....otherwise the next thread will be about seniority in centrelink queue.
AT