Ben’s piece is well timed and should give Ziggy some comfort… “CASA and the ASTB have a lot to answer for as they put so much pressure on pilots to remain silent. That's not safe. I am a product of their tactics and so are many others. Even though it seems like a hopeless task, it is true that in the midst of difficulties, lies opportunity”….
Ziggy totally agree with your sentiments and share your view that this Senate Inquiry should be used as a catalyst to effect change. What previous Senate inquiries lacked was the ‘political will’ after the event.
This has meant that although the Senators and committee Secretariat have done a stellar job, within the restrictions (as 4dogs points out) of the parliamentary process, the reports/recommendations produced have invariably gone straight to the Minister of DOIT without any proper scrutiny from the lower house.
The Minister then relies on the very same bureaucracy that has been spinning out the ‘mystique of aviation safety’ for the best part of 3 decades. This bureaucracy’s only real safety concern is the safety of self-preservation and protecting the political interests of their beloved commander-in-chief the Minister.
And so it goes around and around in a continual vortex of subtle lies, spin and obfuscation…meanwhile good people in industry and victims like yourself continue to be hurt financially, physically, psychologically etc..etc
However, I would suggest, that this time it maybe a little different. Why?
Think about our ‘Minister for Bad Teeth’, the ‘wearer of many hats’, the one and only Mr Teflon and his current importance as the ‘Leader of the House’ in the continued stability of a fragile government.
Abbott and co have stated that they are contemplating putting forward a ‘no confidence’ motion in the coming weeks that the H of R sits. Therefore do you think the Coalition will sensibly knock back an opportunity to have a real crack at Albo if they’re handed a defamatory Senate report that questions his credibility as a Minister of DOIT?
No I disagree that the timing is poor, the timing politically couldn’t be more tantalisingly exquisite if the relevant pollies have the necessary factual damning evidence at their fingertips….
Oleo said:
Ziggy, be rest assured that the commentary you see on PPRuNe is not the only work some people put in to trying to make the ****ty state of Australian aviation known widely, for the soul purpose of fixing the problems, making our skies safer and minimising risk. You see only a fraction of what has taken place behind the scenes.
What Oleo says are not merely just words, however like you say Ziggy the more the merrier!
Meanwhile lets keep flipping the rocks and exposing the charade of the ‘mystique of aviation’, so that the good Senators can keep probing and asking questions like Senator Fawcett’s QON 129 on ICAO (which is yet to be answered):
Senator FAWCETT: I would like to refer you back to the FAA audit that was conducted a couple of years ago. My understanding is that there were a number of deficiencies found during that. Can you give us a status report of rectifications of those?
Mr J McCormick: We can take most of that on notice, if you like. What I can give you now is that the majority issue was around the fact that we did not have sufficient training, in their mind, for our inspectorate. We had already set in place a training school which is now up and running and, in particular, their concerns were over the inspectors who oversaw what is called FAR 129 foreign operators operating RPT, regular public transport, into the US. It was around the amount of training that people had done, where most of the training in the past of say six or seven years ago revolved a lot around on-the-job training and then people had their basic training either that way or through a course to start with was perhaps not as extensive as it should have been. Since then we have rectified that completely.
Senator FAWCETT: I am happy for you to take those on notice.
And the ‘closing the loop’ QON which is also yet to be adequately answered (23/05/12 Senate Estimates):
Senator FAWCETT: Mr Mrdak, as secretary of the relevant department, how would you propose to engage with the coroners to make sure that we, as a nation, close this loophole to make our air
environment safer?
Mr Mrdak: I think Mr Dolan has indicated the relationship with
coroners is on a much better footing than it has been ever before. I
think the work of the ATSB has led that. I think it then becomes a
matter of addressing the relationship between the safety regulators and
security regulators, as necessary, with the coroners. It is probably one I
would take on notice and give a bit of thought to, if you do not mind.
Senator FAWCETT: You do not accept that your department and
you, as secretary, have a duty of care and an oversight to make sure
that two agencies who work for you do actually complement their
activities for the outcome that benefits the aviation community?
Mr Mrdak: We certainly do ensure that agencies are working
together. That is certainly occurring. You have asked me the more
detailed question about coroners and relationships with the agencies. I
will have a bit of a think about that, if that is okay.
Or the good Senator’s constant queries on Airport development and the implications to aviation safety (23/05/12 Senate Estimates):
Senator FAWCETT: Mr Doherty, thank you. I ask you to take this on notice, given that we are rapidly running out of time. How will the
department implement your stated vision from the white paper and
your response to me that airports are predominantly about aviation?
How will you actually achieve that vision statement for your
department’s view of airports if you do not monitor the investment and
the upkeep? I ask you to also extend that to ALOP aerodromes,
particularly given that the transfer deed specifically prohibited local
government from doing things like building dams or things that might
attract bird life? Right at the moment there are a number of councils
who are doing things like interrupting drainage, creating bird habitats
and building dams right next to runways. I would like your detailed
explanation about how you will maintain oversight of aviation
infrastructure that is clearly degrading at both the leased airports and
within the ALOP space.
Mr Mrdak: Certainly, Senator. I think Mr Doherty was talking about
specific development commitments, but we will come back to you
with a statement in relation to how we oversight them. As I said,
ALOP, as we have discussed, is largely a matter for local government.
The guidelines under NASAG try to deal with some of those issues
you have raised. So we will come back to you with a detailed answer.
The answer to which was also largely obfuscated, however it just adds fuel to the DOIT bonfire especially in light of Albo having to appear in the AAT up against the Archerfield Airport’s tenancy group (see PP’s article here).
Therefore it is back to Annex19 for me because, as “K” pointed out, we are as a signatory state to ICAO so far removed from compliancy that the gap maybe insurmountable if nothing is done very, very soon…
Doing a Sundy Kelpie and exploring Attachment B (page 35) titled…“LEGAL GUIDANCE FOR THE PROTECTION OF INFORMATION FROM SAFETY DATA COLLECTION AND PROCESSING SYSTEMS”…quite a mouthful but particularly relevant to this thread and the AAI inquiry….hmm more questions for the Senators perhaps?? 