Just had a random thought while reading a few threads. What is the chance anything aviation will be given even a glimpse of daylight during the election period and for the 3 years that follow?
None.
Excluding QF/VA and the subsidiaries.
How many pilots are there?
How many LAME's?
How many other participants actively engaged in GA Charter/GA PVT-Bus, GA PVT, RAA?
I am on a board of another national association, which has similar displeasure with government (at state levels) and it resembles dealing with aviation groups/CASA rather remarkably. I have a fair idea of the political pull the industry participants have.
If I said that industry only just gets "some traction" today, having effectively wiped out the National Party in the period of 1997-2005, with effectively 10-15 times the participants who have much bigger grievances, what hope do we in GA think we have of having any political pull.
The answer is simple. It is none.
Unless you can be a disruptive force (like uber to taxi's) in the political scene, and hold key but marginal seats to account, then all the ranting, all the public rallies with 20-40 people turning up, will do nothing.
The writing below comes from a very astute political chap, and sure it is reflecting on a separate industry, which has and applied political clout. The fact is the "regulator/s" have just gone about making things worse, despite what the media have been feeding you lately. The same applies for aviation, except that we have 1/15th the numbers.
To quote John Howard in 1996, “If people don’t agree with these measures, they can show their displeasure at the ballot box”.
So, Australians did!
In 1996, all States and Territories had Liberal governments, except NSW (Labor) and Queensland, Nationals. At each subsequent election, those Liberal governments were roundly defeated, with Labor in NSW increasing its majority. The Nationals (Queensland) not only lost government after decades in power, they even lost political party status and were forced to merge with Liberals to become LNP.
Ex-Police Minister Russell Cooper, when interviewed on ABC radio (transcript available) said “Howards gun laws wiped the Nationals out in Qld. We should have fought stronger against them”.
In Victoria, Jeff Kennett went from a healthy majority, to losing power in what was called the “belting from the bush”, as several Independents took seats from Nationals and supported Bracks, to give Labor the government.
In NSW the Liberals were thrown into chaos, with many of their branches actually closing. The sight of then opposition leader Kerry Chikarovski marching side by side with The Greens’ Lee Rhiannon was too much for many Liberal party members and voters to stomach. She was soon replaced as Libs leader, to be followed by a multitude of leaders, none of whom had the courage to criticize Howard for his foolish gun laws. They remained out of office until O’Farrell won government in 2011.
Howard’s federal government actually lost one million votes in the next (1999) election and only just managed to cling to power because of the large majority he held after the 1996 election.
When John Howard was eventually voted out and lost his own seat, the highest office held by a Liberal Party representative, was Campbell Newman, as Lord Mayor of Brisbane!!!
Make of that what you will.