004:
No more correspondence shall be entered into with you. I will leave it to the Moderators to enter into any further dialect with you.
Top stuff Oleo/004 it's okay to get back to the thread then???
Perhaps this will explain the Ferryman's angst in his defence of Pete the potplant
:
Senator NASH: That is exactly right. Mr McCormick, last time I asked a question on notice regarding the plants and the $150,000 over three years for the plants at CASA. I thought it was pretty straightforward myself. It is question No. 124. 'If you could just take on notice for me the current amount of plants you have, the current cost of maintenance, who is maintaining them and why you are moving to get a new maintenance regime?' The answer was, 'Details of CASA's operating expenses are contained in the annual report.' That did not answer the question at all, which I was extremely disappointed about. Then I went to the annual report and could not find it anywhere. Can somebody point me in the annual report to those issues of the number of plants, cost of maintenance, who is doing it and why? I did not think it was all that hard, but it does not seem to be in here.
Mr McCormick: It is fair to say that answer does not necessarily come from me, but I think we can give you that information.
Senator NASH: You are the head. Somebody has obviously done it.
Mr McCormick: We can give you that information. I will ask my chief financial officer, Mr Jordan.
Senator NASH: You need to be really quick, because I have about four minutes left.
Mr McCormick: While Mr Jordan looks that up, we moved to a difference maintenance organisation because they were cheaper.
Senator NASH: When we last spoke it was on the table and you did not even know if you were keeping them or not. Can you give me some new information that you are keeping them now?
Mr McCormick: Yes. I think I said I was agnostic about plants.
Senator NASH: You did say at one point in the Hansard that everything was on the table and I think that was under review.
Mr McCormick: It was.
Senator NASH: So you are keeping the plants. I have a particular interest. You might remember my plant, Pete, who is self-funded and self-maintained. Clearly not properly as he is not that well at the moment and looking a little crispy. I do not hold out too much hope, but hopefully he will be okay. Maybe you could loan me one of yours while we are waiting.
Mr Jordan: In answer to your question, under the previous arrangement we had 309 plants, and the annual cost was approximately $51,000 per annum, which was a three-year contract. We have new arrangements that we have entered into where the annual cost is approximately $38,000 per annum. The number of plants we currently have at the moment as at the end of April is 370 plants spread across approximately 10 offices within Australia.
Senator NASH: Who is doing the maintenance of the plants?
Mr Jordan: Just bear with me for a moment.
Senator NASH: I am sure Pete would be happy to have a spare to keep him company if you have one.
Mr Jordan: I am sorry. I will have to answer that question on notice.
Does it all make sense now?? I missed half of it as I couldn't stop rolling on the floor in laughter...come on get a sense of humour as there is much more to follow in between UAVs and noisy bloody choppers!
