Politically, it appears that the current Transport portfolio is designed to suit a Minister who needs to spend all his time on party matters. The most likely instructions to the Secretary being that waves are not to be made under any circumstances and nothing "courageaous" is to be attempted.
In support of that requirement, Mr. Beaker was placed in charge of the ATSB - the most obvious potential source of a Tsunami, with instructions to muzzle it.
CASA on the other hand has realised that the Minister couldn't give a rats backside for anything to do with aviation apart from the Chairmans lounge and a First class seat. They surmised that they can do what they like as long as they don't make waves. That means leave Qantas alone and strangle any operator who dares to upset the status quo.
That is what I get from reading between the lines of the Ministers instructions and the CASA/ATSB MOU. I suspect that the CASA/AsA MOU would reveal similar intent.
To put that another way; the Minister simply said "don't bother me about Aviation, I'm too busy" and to be fair, he is.
The subject will get no attention until there are Three smoking holes in the ground, and even then the terms of reference for the resulting Royal Commission will be perverted to preclude consideration of CASA, ATSB and AsA operations.
Civil Aviation - a sleepy administrative backwater.
Last edited by Sunfish; 25th Mar 2013 at 20:12.