Spot on Gingerbread!
"LAMEs standing up for Australia's aviation safety standards are now being accused of running an industrial campaign and the ALP of shooting down safety! NO Minister, you have been badly misinformed."
On a much smaller scale of course this is happening throughout the industry. I have heard of a certain jet operator, having been called out on several safety matters by it's pilots and engineers, simply shrugged it off as industrial-CASA bought it.
Seems we are in a world where it is expedient to blame unions and industrially active staff for placing roadblocks in the way of unsafe laws and practices.