It's a strange wee confection, is the WLR. But before having a taste there are some formalities to observe.
I believe I could be persuaded to elevate The Honourable Warren Truss MP from miniscule to minister provided the promised changes are enforced (no other option really). The minister could have so very easily done an Albo and delivered a soft white paper elephant; but didn't. No matter the motivation - a promise was made and kept; a report was ordered and delivered. What the unspeakable Albo left behind for the minister to deal with was seriously ugly. The situation was disgusting enough on the surface and only the gods could know what was floating beneath. I sometimes forget that parliament is a stage show, there's that which the audience see and 'that what goes on' backstage. The minister (and team) must deal with both sides of the finished production. So, no matter what opinion you have of the show, one must acknowledge the investment, hard work and risks. Tricky thing, pleasing all the people, all the time. In short, this IOS member says 'thank you' to the member for Wide Bay.
Of course the minister was juggling hot coals: but not for too long. Said coals were dropped into the capable, heavily gloved hands of D Forsyth. Esq. and his merry men. Once again the options were open and the report could have gone either way. Realistically, the report could never, ever be a silver bullet, especially as the options for a band aid solutions became severely limited. Referee Forsyth stepped up as the scrums became fierce, and turned nasty. Cynicism and pragmatism aside, I reckon Forsyth has managed a difficult task quite well indeed. I propose D Forsyth Esq. be elevated to associate IOS membership and call on the Gobbledock to second the motion. Bravo that man, well done.
The final accolade must be for the industry – great job. Clarity, cohesion and the courage to say – enough is enough – has won some hard earned yards, some self respect and a positive place to start. Great start to the match from the alphabet groups and individuals. Bravo, bravo indeed; well played. Now is not the time to back off, play up and play dirty in the ruck. The opposition will, for the whole 80 minutes. Selah.
I digress. The report. I feel it would be a mistake to 'shoot from the hip' on this report and a quick skim of the executive summary won't do, not at all. As said, it's a strange confection. There are parts which, to me at least, are 'stilted'. These parts reflect the difficulty of writing a report which very publicly exposes some of the government 'sensitive' parts and the difficulties facing the industry, combined with a hysterical press and uninformed public. Changes in syntax clearly define the sensitive areas where the panel has been obliged to tread very carefully; but the message is there and well done for being able to keep that message in play.
Anyway you look at it, the report is a positive step. It sends a clear message, now it will be up to the industry, incoming DAS, Minister and Senate team to make sure it works out: the way it was intended. I do agree with Sandilands; McComic should be escorted from building at the earliest opportunity before an abuse of considerable power is used to pay old scores. I am certain Forsyth could manage to find a night watchman, caretaker if you like, for the next short while. IMO - McComic must be considered 'armed and dangerous', capable, with malice and aforethought of inflicting terrible damage; any of the 49 'ers will confirm this opinion. His batting partner Dolan is out in July anyway (hallelujah) and although he is relatively harmless; the two of them together do frighten the horses and terrify the smaller children. Anyway – why stay where no one wants you?
Once you find your way past the top 'fluff' and bottom waffle, there are about 40 pages to read which are powerful; given the report must be framed in 'understatement', diplomatic and comprehensible to those outside of industry vaguely interested. If we achieve all the recommendations, undiluted, properly executed; it will be a great step taken out the darkness toward the light.
Page 70). Throughout this report, the Panel recommends changes that, if actioned, will contribute to the rebuilding of trust between the industry and CASA. Changing its regulatory philosophy is the most important shift that CASA must make. Coupled with a much stronger policy towards just culture, the Panel considers that the relationship between CASA and industry can reach a level of maturity where, as in many of the countries identified in Table 5, regulator access to safety data is no longer controversial.
Page 72). Although the Swedavia-McGregor Report was completed 25 years ago, the principles are still relevant today. The Panel considers that CASA should adopt an organisational structure similar to that developed for New Zealand, with modifications to suit the size and scope of the aviation community in Australia. The transformation envisaged in this concept, which is intended to structure CASA along the lines of industry’s activities (a client-oriented output model) rather than CASA’s activities, is depicted in Figure 8. Many variations of such a model are possible, and the proposal is not prescriptive. However, the key intention is to clarify accountability and improve the points of contact for the aviation community.
Okey-dokey – Seconds away – Gloves off - Round two.