It has been 1577 days since the ditching of VH-NGA; 546 days since Senator X first moved..
“…Senator XENOPHON (South Australia) (11:55): I move:
That the following matters be referred to the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee for inquiry and report by 29 November 2012:
(a) the findings of the Australian Transport Safety Bureau into the ditching of VH-NGA Westwind II, operated by Pel-Air Aviation Pty Ltd, in the ocean near Norfolk Island airport on 18 November 2009;
(b) the nature of, and protocols involved in, communications between agencies and directly interested parties in an aviation accident investigation and the reporting process;
(c) the mechanisms in place to ensure recommendations from aviation accident investigations are implemented in a timely manner; and
(d) any related matters.
Question agreed to….”
...and 294 days (& counting) that we have waited for two successive governments to respond to…“a damning, a damning report into the Aviation Transport Safety Bureau's investigation of Pel-Air flight VH-NGA off Norfolk Island in 2009…”
Now finally, it would appear that, the tabling of the government response is imminent (within next fortnight), so in the last days of miniscule anxiety (or not) I thought some flashback moments may help to fill in the time…
The Senate Estimates on the 29 May ’13 (besides the battle of the two Big Macks) was a significant event. It began with the Heff setting the serious non-partisan concern of the RRAT committee…“Bugger it—the questions and the answers are the questions and the answers”:
Besides the numerous references (throughout the day) by the Senators for an urgent government response to the PelAir report; the start of the NX CAO 48.1 DM journey (post#548) and the battle of the two Big Macks, there was also some other (no less) significant moments that may have passed scrutiny from the IOS..
First there was Nick’s further inquisition on the now infamous Chambers Report:
In which Senator Xenophon’s QONs were answered like this:
Senator XENOPHON: I have got two more questions. What prompted you to focus on the Bankstown office?
Mr McCormick: I will take this on notice, but from memory there were over 77 certificates being managed from a very small office. In other words, an enormous amount of surveillance was being done at Bankstown.
Answer:
As advised during the hearing, the CASA Bankstown Office was managing a large number of certificates at the time and they were also the office responsible for the oversight of Pel-Air.
Senator XENOPHON: My understanding is that there was not a covering note or any associated note with the report, but I would like to know whether there was one.
Mr McCormick: To my knowledge there was not, but we will take it on notice.
Answer:
CASA provided a copy of a covering Minute to the Director of Aviation Safety (advising that the “Chambers Report” was attached) to the Senate Standing Committee on Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport during the Aviation Accident Investigations Inquiry, which is available on the Inquiry website. CASA was not able to find any other covering or associated notes to this report in its records.
Q/ Will the DAS (soon to be retired) ever escape the all pervading stench of “Wodger’s Weport”??
At the tailend of the FF inquisition there was a scene that encompassed Senators Heff & Edwards that we also may have missed in amongst all of the other shenanigans of the day…
Comment 1: Heff’s concerns, in regards to the RFS firebombing ops, is quite disturbing in light of the Dromader firebombing tragedy on the 24 October 2013. Wonder if there were any minutes taken of that meeting??
Comment 2: Senator ("Mea culpa after mea culpa) Edward’s question, on reflection, in regards to the Monarch ATSB investigation findings is interesting..
Perhaps a case of 21 years of FF/Dept/Govt obfuscation, procrastination and mea culpa after mea culpa??
. Wonder if it was wise for Kingcrat to draw attention to the fact that he has apparently been a silent witness, in the shadows, for that 21 years??
All in all it would seem that after the 29 May ’13 Estimates hearing there was a lot of behind closed doors meeting going on, oh to be a fly on the wall…
Dear miniscule…TICK..TOCK 
!