Pause for reflection MKII...why indeed?
In an article by Gerald Frawley from AA magazine put out prior to the election gives further 'pause for reflection' and he asks some particularly pertinent questions in the context of this thread
:
- Why is it that aviation was hit by the carbon tax when other transport sectors were not?
- How has it come to pass that relations between industry and CASA are as bad as they have ever been, and regulatory reform as slow and contentious as it ever was?
- Why has CASA been downsized and de-skilled in the name of cost-cutting so much that its approval processes are so slow it externalises costs back onto industry in foregone revenue generating activities?
- Why is general aviation, that training ground of civil aviation, in alarming decline?
- Why are some of the country’s most important airports seen by their owners as property developments with irksome runways in the middle?
- Why are many council-owned regional and rural airports struggling to pay for maintenance and upkeep of runways and taxiways?
- Why haven’t burdensome security regulations been reviewed a dozen years after 9/11?
- Why isn’t the pilot training industry supported by HECS-subsidised training courses?
- Why isn’t there a second Sydney airport and an increased movement cap at the current airport?
- Why is there a looming shortage of LAMEs?
- Those are just some of the issues facing aviation in Australia today. So why isn’t there a minister for aviation or – at the very least a parliamentary secretary – who can champion aviation’s development and work to address its issues?
- And indeed why isn’t there a minister, and government policies, that champion aviation’s opportunities and potential as well?
ELECTION 2013 – Advocating for an advocate