Managed to have a quiet ale (or was it two) with P7. a.k.a. T.O.M. last evening; and, as you'd expect, the conversation turned to the Wet Lettuce Review. I mentioned 'medical matters', just in passing, mind you and there was a long sigh, a roll of the eyes then he says "skip it for tonight kid, there is not enough ale in the barrel to see us through that discussion". Despite my willingness to test theory, he declined further comment. But it did lead into a discussion of just how much ground the review must cover, if it's to do the job properly, rather than just look good.
Walking home I got to thinking about it all and there is a hellish tangle. TOM reckons most of the fix would come from a revised Act rather than the regulations, which makes some sense. And remembering Creampuffs words I finished up concerned that without involving the RAT Senate committee and their support crew, this already weak WLR is going to end up behind the proverbial 8 ball. I expect there are some reasons for shutting out the highly effective, bi-partisan RAT committee, not using their experience, horsepower, administrative and security know how; but be buggered if I can see it.
The words 'fatally flawed' seem to be being used rather a lot lately; Shirley it would ease the legal burden, expedite the process and provide a much better result if the Senate crew became involved, that would, at the very least provide the security and protection most serious submissions will require. I know TOM is concerned, "Arr well, you pays your money and takes your chances" quips he, in a truly dreadful attempt at a pirate's voice.
And so it was that a quiet ale developed into a thinking headache.
Creampuff -"Politics has almost nothing to do with what’s right or wrong. It’s almost entirely about what’s expedient. Come the day that the government desperately wants something passed through the Senate, and all the non-major party aligned Senators say: “Not until substantive actions have been finalised to address the recommendations of the Senate Inquiry in Aviation Accident Investigation”, that’s when something substantive will happen. Until that day, forget the government. If the government cared about the recommendations, it would already have done something substantive about them."
Damn straight.