February 15, 2013, Nick Xenophon was on a roll and had his questions all lined up, like good little soldiers. The video - 'man at the back of the room' - posted by Sarcs is an end play of an elaborate dance, at the very end of an interesting passage of play – to wit; the stoic, albeit nervous denial of collusion. Farq-u-hardson was the anointed maestro of smoke and mirrors, with his two willing aides (White loading the wagon and Chambers shovelling the 'data') to make sure of a smooth passage. Then Nick poses the questions – to the maestro - and McComic steams to the rescue.
5. HANSARD PG 18 – 19.
Senator XENOPHON:
Mr Farquharson, do you have the minutes of the accident investigation committee of 18 November 2011 handy?
Mr McCormick: Can you give us a couple of minutes in which to look? We have got substantial amounts of paperwork.
Senator XENOPHON: Sure.
Mr McCormick: Sorry, what was the date again?
Senator XENOPHON:
18 November 2011.
Mr McCormick: I sincerely doubt it.
That is not something which we considered. But we could have a look.
Senator XENOPHON: I have only got my note of it.
Mr Farquharson:
No.
Senator XENOPHON: You don't have it?
Mr Farquharson:
Not the 18th.
Senator XENOPHON: My understanding is that the minutes show,
Mr Farquharson, that you were to meet with ATSB to see if ATSB had changed its position. Would that ring a bell?
Mr McCormick: We will have to take that on notice, sorry. We have to refer to the minutes.
Senator XENOPHON: If I can put it to you in those terms that, if that is the case, it shows that there is an element of influence on the part of CASA with respect to the ATSB?
McCormick [We] did not provide that report to anyone. We did not provide the report outside—I am talking about the CASA accident report—we did not provide that report as we naturally would not do until the ATSB demanded it of us under section 32. Refers CAIR 093. (My bold)
These questions, amongst other were taken on notice by McComic. Then we have a wait, until March 01, 2013 for the second supplementary submission to be presented, which runs about the houses and provides some very entertaining, artistic, creative paragraphs; even manages to laud the Chambers knock off of Messrs Cook, Christie and Watson definitive reports while having a slap at the "so called" Cook report. Not a bad effort – if you like that sort of twaddle. But the answers to the questions (QON) must be provided, so March 24, 2013 the response to QON arrives.
• Question 5: Hansard, pages 18-19, from Senator Xenophon ( CASA influence over ATSB) is covered in Sections 2 and 4 of CASA's Second Supplementary Submission.
Now then, if patience, constitution and fortitude allows it; you must read parts 2 and 4 of the CASA supplementary to winnow your answers.
Out of human kindness; I'll tell you the answer to the riddle of the missing minutes. There ain't one; and the missing minutes remain concealed from public view. Nick and his team may have a copy saved from the shredder; but no one else has seen those precious minutes, which may just contain the vital clue to the great mystery of why a safety recommendation was diminished. I for one would like to see them; but better still, now that Terry is the 'guv'nor' for him bring in the missing minutes in and to answer directly, under oath, those questions posed to him by Xenophon, taken on notice by McComic and explain why the non-answers were returned, buried under a pile of twaddle.
Could it be someone is having a lend of Xenophon; or is he just playing possum – I wonder? Perhaps shy sentinel can provide the answers – who knows. Life's little puzzles eh??
Research data –
ONE –
TWO –
THREE.
Toot toot..