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I note that you make reference to Don Dunstan. I just hope you weren't part of his little group down there mate, if you get my point?
Since all the participants are mostly dead I think I can tell this story, even if it is off topic and there is no suggestion its related to events at Airservices or anywhere else. I was a small cog in this story which is quite short. There were Three of us involved.
After Don gave up South Australian politics, he moved to Victoria to take up public office (which in my opinion he still hankered for) as Director of Tourism for the Cain Labor Victorian Government in 1982. He had a Board, and a budget, to assist him and their mission, was to revitalise the Victorian tourism industry.
Around late 1985 Don had the feeling that "things weren't going to plan" in the Victorian tourist industry and to his credit, he hired a major management consulting firm to find out what was going on. Two of our people started an interview and data gathering process.
After about a month they came to see me in my corporate strategy cubicle and over a cuppa they said words to the effect:"look Sunfish, what do we do? We have found the source of the problems……and it's Don! The bloke who is paying us". I thought for a while, consulted my crystal ball, looked at the tea leaves and made a suggestion: "This is a rather delicate problem fellas". Says I, "lets have a word in private with the Premiers Chief of Staff".
So we arranged to have a quiet word with Cains Chief of Staff (whose name now escapes me) and laid out our problem - including the fact that we had agreed to give a draft report to Don for comment. Chief of Staff solved our problem for us : "OK boys! From now on you are working for me!".
What we had found in Tourism Victoria was that quite simply Don was "too big" and too "hands on" for the position. The Board had entirely abrogated its responsibilities to Don. Everything was going to be done his way or the highway. The staff were completely demoralised and perhaps most importantly, Tourism Victoria, and by definition Don, had completely lost the trust of the Victorian Tourism industry with predictable economic results. There was no malice or stupidity involved, as a former successful Premier, Don just couldn't help himself and his "style" didn't bring people along with him.
We dutifully prepared a draft report, which I proofread many times and submitted it to Don for comment. We had already told him that the Premier, not Tourism Victoria, was paying our bill and that the final report would go to the Premier. Don's comment: "Fellas, if this gets out I won't hold public office ever again".
We made Three copies of the final report, one for our safe, One for Don and One for the Premier.
I was told that John Cain simply rang Don and said words to the effect that: " Mate, I have this report, but I haven't read it, if you were to decide to resign I wouldn't need to read it because it would be irrelevant." Don dutifully resigned for personal or other reasons and that was that.
I was pestered by some senior public servants for the report or its details for a few months. They knew it existed but that was all. I think I can tell this story now as the Thirty year rule should apply.
Draw conclusions about the wisdom and potential pitfalls of senior people from one walk of life jumping into another if you will, success is not assured. I know that whenever I hear of some great and good person stepping into another career, I think of poor Don.