Obligations under international agreements.
2.12 The principal relevant international agreement, the Convention on International Civil Aviation (the Chicago Convention), binds 191 member states, including Australia, to the requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
2.13 Established in 1944 with the advent of the Chicago Convention, ICAO is a specialised agency of the United Nations (UN) and the global forum for civil aviation:
It sets standards and regulations necessary for aviation safety, security,
efficiency and regularity, as well as for aviation environmental protection.
Given all the hooh hah, is there not an obligation on ICAO to have a look see at just how far removed Australia is from ICAO alignment. Not in the grey, misty arena of "compliance", nor the slippery area of "registered differences"; but to ensure that, like our near neighbours, we are properly aligned with the ideals, spirit and intent of the ICAO model. It is passing strange that we seem to spend a lot of time, effort and money telling ICAO that we don't; if we are going to have some 2000 odd differences logged, it begs the question why, (apart from the bleeding obvious) be a part of it. We could save lots by either getting out or getting "in". This messing about on the philosophical and legal boundaries seems to achieve nothing much more than an excuse for lovely overseas holidays and keeping a special room within the sheltered workshop.
2.16 In light of this, the ATSB's accident investigations and reports must be assessed against its obligations under the Chicago Convention. The committee received considerable evidence suggesting that the ATSB did not comply with ICAO guidelines and standards in completing its investigation and report on the Norfolk Island ditching. Examples are analysed in later chapters of this report. The committee recognises that the ATSB has filed some differences with ICAO but this recognition does not equate to agreement in all cases.
The Senate event may only be of passing interest to the public, but the fiscal implications of a downgrade, which we only just avoided last go around are horrendous. If push comes to shove, and I think it may, there are serious consequences which need to be considered, by all. Not just the ills of society crowd.
and we had, from memory, $89.9 million in long-term funding,
Imagine being just able to manage to 'remember' a number like Eighty Nine Million. They must have used chamber pots to hide the pea and played the old 'Shell game with the ministry boys for it.
My bold and formating.