The question that has to be asked is why have the ATSB if they are no longer an independent 'safety' watchdog!
I thought this exchange very important!
Senator FAWCETT: Chair, given the inquiry on Monday I do not actually have a huge number of questions, except to follow up something with Mr Mrdak. Last time we fspoke about closing the loop between ATSB recommendations and CASA following through with regulation as a consequential change within a certain time frame. The view was expressed that it was not necessarily a departmental role to have that closed loop system. I challenged that at the time. I just welcome any comment you may have three or four months down the track as to whether there has been any further thought within your department as to how we make sure we have a closed loop system for recommendations that come out of the ATSB.
Mr Mrdak : It is something we are doing further work on in response to your concerns. We recognise that we do need to ensure the integrity of the investigatory response and then the regulatory response. So it is something we are looking at closely. I and the other chief executives in the portfolio will do some further work on that area.
Senator FAWCETT: Do you have a time frame on when you might be able to report back to the committee?
Mr Mrdak : Not as yet. I will come back to you on notice with some more detail.
Senator FAWCETT: If I could invite you to come back to the chair perhaps with a date for a briefing to the committee, outside of the estimates process, as to how you might implement that.
Mr Mrdak : Yes.
Senator FAWCETT: Because the work by ATSB is almost nugatory if you do not have a closed loop system that makes sure it is implemented in a timely manner.
Was Dominic James a convenient scapegoat? It is becoming obvious there were more issues than those attributed solely to the PIC.