Rats. You are showing your ignorance of the ridiculous rules at the time.
The pilot could not call ATC directly when OCTA until told to do so by the FSO.
Yes. Even if you wanted to get your transponder checked you called the FSO who relayed the message to the ATC and then the FSO came back to you with the answer.
And I too dislike the way I have to go about this important safety change.
In fact it makes me feel sick.
However after a decade of letters , meetings , phone calls , committees and more it is clear there is unlikely to be any other way to make these important changes.
And I have only just started. I don't like being lied to by senior military people.
They don't say "we don't agree with you". Quite the opposite but even they can't get their desired changes through.
Australia deserves better.