greybeard
It was a problem for AN but the bigger problem as I recall it for the Govt/Budgie was that TN was "self" funded and not by an institution and around $3-400,000,000 would have had to come out of consolidated revenue or some such. The "normal" liability was met annually, probably out of cash flow in the normal course of retirements and resignations etc.
To have to meet the entire TN pilot force liability in one hit was more than they had bargained for, if indeed in his rush to help his
mate he actually thought of that as a consequence.
I suspect that when the resignations were submitted the reality/stupidity of his actions was forcefully presented to him, I suspect that he had nowhere to go except as I said crash through or crash.
I suspect the AFAP were aware of this as a consequence.
My memory is getting scratchy on the detail but they had been "trying" to find a buyer for TN for some time, but the "unfunded" Super liability was always the sticking point on the price and the Govt had no desire to stump up the funds if indeed they had them to properly fund it. In the context of his accord confidence trick it would have been a pretty hard ask politically, to get the legislation through.
They needed to keep it under tight control so it wasn't just Abeles agenda.
Hence the I suspect writs were just another way of trying to keep the Punch and Judy show going to offsett their financial problem.
Anyone??