Very unkind of you to describe CASA in that way, Dick. On Monday 27 Feb during Estimates hearings the Chair of the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee asked this question of the Acting Director of Aviation Safety:
If we were to ask informed Australians who was the pre-eminent adviser on air safety in this nation, do you think that they might nominate your organisation?
Mr Carmody's response was:
You see Dick, in the world of government, perception is reality.
The fact that CASA (and Airservices and ATSB) are complete basket cases and the above interchange is champagne comedy is neither here nor there. "Informed Australians" perceive CASA to be the "pre-eminent adviser on air safety" in Australia.
Luckily for Australians, little of what CASA does has any causal connection with aviation safety. Unfortunately for the aviation industry, the little that CASA does that has some causal connection with aviation safety is often detrimental.