Woomera,
Your bow is drawn to the correct tension for a bullseye shot. Money and influence beats skill, expertise and common sense every time.
Neither of the Smiths have demonstrated, in my personal experience, much interest in views which do not concur with their own. Their skills in dealing with contrary arguments vary but ignoring them where ever possible seems to work well.
And as Triadic well knows stealth is the preferred method of the NAS promoters.
They have access to key decisionmakers ie. the Minister that are simply not, and never well be, available to the industry while it a. relies on RAPACs to represent it and b. continually squabbles over minutae and detail and ignores broad policy matters and the direct influencing of politicians.
I suspect that, as willadvise surmises, some bits of NAS may see the light of day one day but it won't be soon.