Sarcs, perhaps I will in due course put this saga into a potted fairy story. Perhaps, when all the squalid details from the Senate enquiry are revealed, the "story version" will be more readily understood. Right now, we are only scratching the surface, much "drilling down" is yet required. So I'm afraid it's cut and dried only today.
LS# 1128 –"Have you ever read Senator (previously Lt. Col) Fawcett's CV. You might find it very enlightening, you might find him being very qualified, with a quite remarkable range of aviation and military command experience, including in areas where you consider (on what basis?) that he has no qualifications. After all, he isn't "just a pilot".
One of the many subjects on discussion at last evening's special Bar Room Barristers sit down, (somewhere between soup and the nuts) was the vexed question of qualifications and resume details. Now then, the public résumé's of some CASA stars have been examined in some detail. The verdict was unanimous; "We, the jury find it passing strange that a report written by a man of integrity, impeccable qualification, intelligence and respect should have been treated in the cavalier manner it was".
Point 1) It was generally agreed that if "he who must not be named" was so desperate to have a warts and all report on the state of the organisation; there were (are?) several very suitable, reputable, respected candidates to choose from; all of whom were eminently qualified to conduct the enquiry in an open, fair, balanced honest fashion. Particularly as the report was to be "warts and all".
Ben Cook to name just one.
Clearly the ADF Directorate of Defence Aviation & Air force Safety valued his opinion over that of an 'acting' manager with an Air Force career qualification not quite suitable for the task; which may explain, in part why the position was not offered to the "Author". But the DAS had his hand picked man, so all was well.
Point 2) There are numerous instances, on public record where the DAS has "instructed" the "Author" of the "Chambers Report" directly, had discussions with and communicated frequently. Yet the "author" of the part plagiarised, part bastardised internal weapon against his own troops can, under oath in the AAT draw the following conclusions from the inestimable John Langmead SC.
Extract – AAT - File No 3553 of 2010 - Avtex Air Services Pty Ltd.
"CASA officers have equated any group of allegations and in some cases single allegations, with adverse safety culture, and have also used the term loosely and inadequately. Weeks sought to wield the term safety culture on the basis of his 5 days of training. Chambers sought to do the same thing with a little more “formal training” behind him, 7 days."
"One difficulty in the matter is that CASA officers such as Mr Chambers, and below him Mr DuBois, with no formal professional ethical obligation to impede willingness to make allegations of the most serious kind, were subjected to the apparent need to treat consideration of action against the Applicant as of unprecedented importance. That is the clear implication arising from the fact that the CEO of CASA became involved in discussion of the nature of the action to be taken, something never previously experienced by Mr Chambers." - My bold.
So the questions mount, just on this one point, stand alone. Has the truth, like the text in the Cook report been manipulated to suit some clandestine purpose ?. It's a fair question a reasonable, well informed man (or woman) may ask.
One thing is abundantly clear, supported by the chronology, statements, documents and facts the Pel Air investigation and any other investigation managed by this somewhat under qualified, willing accomplice need to be fully re examined; by a competent, independent legal authority, under rules requiring real evidence to beyond reasonable doubt. People like Karen Casey, Shane Urquhart, Gary Currall etc. etc. deserve the courtesy of the truth, at the very least. Some boys and girls, sitting in air conditioned comfort, surrounded by pot plants and coffee machines need to look deeply into their consciences and get in first. The bus is coming, next stop the Styx houseboat.
Enough of my twiddles for today – but you do see that this is not a simple, isolated problem. The whole thing stinks to the high heavens.
Selah.