Chocks away, that stupidity you mention hasn't changed a bit and continues to this day. A Driver who works there told me in his honest opinion that they should have never been handed any AOC certificate above GA status.
Also if you take a look on the CASA register you will see they have grown to 15 Dash 8's. The last few purchases came from third world countries not famous for their standard of care. Some of the machines are amongst the oldest remaining in the world.
And as for potential, I agree with chocks away, they chose to successively cut loose any good decent knowledgeable people and keep only those who prostrate themselves on one knee before the throne of Wild. Maybe some dejavu, karma, or just good old what goes around comes around?
Regardless, hang in there my pilot friends up north.