During the "deregulation" process I spent a fair amount of time in the Ministers office. The standard process was that the minder would go through what you intended to discuss with the Minister prior to the meeting. If they didn't like what you had to say, then they would announce that the Minister didn't want to discuss that subject. Many a time and only days later I then heard the Minister in Parliament saying that he knew nothing about that subject.
If you broke the rule then you never got back into Parliament House.
The only way to break this cycle is to have a Minister that knows about Transport prior to getting the job. That will never happen as long as the Libs give it to a National whose main interest is exporting cows and Labor gives it to someone who has a noise impacted seat. Think back. Can anyone remember a Minister in the last say 30 years, that didn't fit these 2 criteria?
When ministers in general are chosen not for competency but by where they live or if they are from the "left right out" faction,then the system is "stuffed".No wonder we regard pollies at the same status as used vacuum cleaner salesmen.
With the latest aviation incumbent ,if he follows his recent process, CASA will have to move from Canberra to Armidale so maybe his position is not all bad?
Wunwing