LL –"So do you think Sarcs that she has been coached on how to respond to the questions?"
In short – Yes, but it's not just Staib. Since the Senate committee caught a fleeting glimpse of the monster lurking beneath the bed through the Pel Air investigation there has been a frantic effort to convince the committee that they had only imagined seeing the beast.
The CASA, ATSB, Air Services (ASA) and the BoM were in some way exposed. Rather than strive to redeem their reputations all, to some extent have elected to hide behind the mystique of 'safety', relying on the smoke and mirrors strategy which has always served so well. They were collectively stopped cold by the united efforts of a very savvy Senate committee.
The reasons for Pel Air escaping the CASA axe are fairly clear and all would have been well had the likes of Cook, Watson and Hatley been able to stomach, or even find a conscionable reason to let the Pel Air audit be swept under the carpet. The story becomes grim once the reality of that dawns on the CASA, bit like one of those murder mysteries where two or three corpses turn up in order to disguise the primary target. To get Pel Air below the radar it became essential to 'persuade' other agencies to join in.
Now Wodger was in the cat seat – controlling the data, his mate the new AILU ducked under the new, but not yet ratified MoU and set to work undermining the ATSB 'white hats', Beaker had to be 'comfortable and confident' with the spin and elected to join in. One of the most pathetic, weak kneed, disgraceful excuses for the non recovery of the CVR/FDR units was trotted out and despite having "Joe" on site with a rope around the tail of the aircraft, all the toys to lift it and even access to the RAN to help raise a ton and a half of aircraft tail out of the water – it was all too expensive and dangerous.
And so the saga began and to this very day – continues. There is a pressing need to avoid any loose talk and the seals must be well trained lest they say one word which leads to further investigation of what lays, like the West-wind, just beneath the surface.
Minor inconveniencies such as the Transport Safety Act, ICAO annexe 13, Senate reports, Independent (Forsyth) revues and even the useless Canadian TSB audit are all swept away – in order to preserve a failed, morally bankrupt system which is destroying not only Australia's light and regional aviation, but it's reputation as well. Even the minuscule could not, even if he wanted to, break the iron ring supported by the GWM, does this make him their willing accomplice?.
Truss should put up or shut up – retire, or get in behind the 'new' DAS and acknowledge the good work done by the Senate and the Rev. Forsyth; all he has to do is pick up the phone; but will he do it ?, now the bored is established and a DAS on the horizon. Perhaps if he gets approval from the Murky Machiavellian crew he might. But then again if Barnaby gets his job all bets are off; he will not need permission from the minders.
We shall see, I expect. Now, where are those tea leaves Min and the crystal ball?.
Toot toot (MkII).