Hansard Page 7.
Senator NASH: You were just saying then that you had no need to make any recommendations because CASA and Pel-Air had told you what they had done to address the issues. When was that?
Mr Dolan: It was in the course of finalising the reports. Part of the directly involved parties' process, sending a draft report out with identified safety issues in it is to seek information from those parties as to what action they have taken, or propose to take, in response. Our aim is that by the time the report is complete we have good information about action that is taken or proposed and can satisfy ourselves as to whether further action needs to be recommended. So it is an integral part of the way we run our process.
Senator NASH: It is almost as if you have said, 'Here are the issues,' and CASA and Pel-Air have come back and told you what they have done and then you do not make a decision about whether you need to make any recommendations until that point in time—is that correct?
Mr Dolan: That is correct.
Senator NASH: Has it always been the case?
Mr Dolan: I would have to check with colleagues. It certainly has not always been the case; it has been the case for my entire tenure of 3½ years in the organisation and its predated my arrival by a year or two—Mr Walsh?
Mr Walsh: Yes, I think for that specific approachit has been about four years.
Or, to put it the tautological way – our reports started to become risible about four years ago. Should I just wonder why?