Dick Supports Bronny

[LeadSled]

Folks,

I don’t know if anyone noticed in the Strewth column in the Australian newspaper yesterday (Monday 3 August 2015) the following: “Barnaby Joyce loyally if unfortunately was saying Bronwyn Bishop should stay in her job yesterday morning. But he wasn’t alone. A most unlikely referee offered Bronny his backing and even suggested she deserved a promotion — Dick Smith. Cheekily citing her generous support of the general aviation sector, he told our very own Ean Higgins: “She’s the only politician in this country to support the struggling aviation industry and for doing that she should be promoted to prime minister.”

Tootle pip!!

[peterc005]

Maybe the Commonwealth Car Service, which provides cars and drivers for politicians, should be expanded to include light planes and pilots.

[Avgas172]

Maybe the Commonwealth Car Service, which provides cars and drivers for politicians, should be expanded to include light planes and pilots

Hear hear ..... :D

[gerry111]

Barnaby Joyce has certainly been a good supporter of GA during his time in parliament. His often used mode of transport into and out of St George. But usually aircraft like C210's. :)

[Typhoon650]

Given the hangers on that always accompany politicians (like Remora fish) and the usual police escorts that VIP's of this level seem to need, I don't really think the total cost of a 1 hour motorcade vs the helicopter flight would be that significant, especially if you factored in police wages, fuel costs etc.
Still doesn't make it right in the public's eye and under the letter of the entitlements, but probably not nearly as bad as it is made out to be.

[Super Cecil]

Why would the speaker need a motorcade to go anywhere? What's wrong with com cars? This is Australia and the lower house parliament speakers position is not equal to an American President (Apart from what Bronny and her mates think).
There was an extensive study/inquiry 5 years ago about politicians entitlements, results and recommendations totally ignored by all. Snouts in the trough, they will if they can. Once it goes quiet normal service will be resumed. Why is it acceptable for a politician to pay his wife $300 a day while he is staying in Canberra to stay in her house? "Everybody body does it" was Hockey's excuse/reasoning. That may be but does not make it acceptable or morally right.

[Frank Arouet]

The Speaker ranks fairly highly in matters of protocol where the position ranks with The Governor General, State Governors and The Prime Minister, all who are entitled to a car with a flag of sorts. The matter of privilege is part of the Left's class warfare program and seemed forgotten during the Slipper reign when all accoutrement's were de rigueur. I'm unsure if Bronwyn flew business or cattle class though. I wonder if she has kids?


Infosheet 3 - The Speaker ? Parliament of Australia (http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/House_of_Representatives/Powers_practice_and_procedure/00_-_Infosheets/Infosheet_3_-_The_Speaker)

[404 Titan]

I believe her daughter is a reporter for Chanel 10 in Sydney.

[peterc005]

Bronwyn Bishop has been in Federal Parliament for almost 30 years and you'd struggle to think of a single notable achievement she has made.

She was briefly a junior minister, until being sacked over the kerosene baths for nursing home patients scandal.

Her parliamentary career, including pension, will end up costing tax payers over $20m and there is no positive return for the country.

Good riddance to that waste of space.

[John Eacott]

It's all been a lot of fun extracting the Michael over the use of a helicopter, but do any of you aviation professionals (and others) that post here actually care that the attitude being engendered is that using a helicopter shouldn't even be considered?

The trip by car would have been close to one and a half hours each way, depending on traffic, so a total of 2.5 - 3 hours. The helicopter flight would have been less than 30 minutes, probably 0.9hr round trip. Time saving of about two hours.

An employee on $300,000 per year is worth ~$3,000 per hour to the employer (long explanation but it's been around for years, check with Business Aviation for the maths). Time spent traveling is generally non-productive to the employer so a saving is generated by the number of employees multiplied by the time saved multiplied by the total hourly cost of each employee.

So Bishop plus acolytes hourly costs easily exceed the $5300 cost of the helicopter, and also had an extra two hours to be used productively.

This is the formula that I used frequently when selling VIP helicopter use, and it works. Whilst we all like to knock anything that a politician does with 'our' money I'd like to think that there is enough professional understanding of our parlous industry to lend some sort of support to companies generally who need this sort of business, be it politicians or businessmen.

[Horatio Leafblower]

Well said John Eacott. There are a great many reasons for these people to use charter aircraft, and many of the readers of this page are amongst the beneficiaries of that use (directly or indirectly).

The #1 issue about THAT helicopter trip is that it was a Liberal fundraiser - the Liberal party can pay for that, not you & me, thanks.

Beyond that - as John explains - a reasonable way to use BB's time.

A most unlikely referee offered Bronny his backing and even suggested she deserved a promotion — Dick Smith.

Dick Smith and Bronny were both at Roseville East Public School at the same time; Bronny would have been 1 or 2 years ahead of Dick. My late lamented Grandmother used to tell some very amusing stories about little Bronny Setright that accord with the BB we know and love today :E

[Dick Smith]

Horatio. You are correct. Bronny also lived over my back fence in Koongara Rd and we could hear her mother Cath practicing her opera notes .

Bronnys dad Tom was our scout group leader and a hard worker for the community.

What was your grandmothers name? Did she also go to Roseville Public School?

And I agree with John. But hard to get out in the political way this was handled.

[onetrack]

The bottom line is that politicians of Bishops calibre (or actually, lack of it), aren't worth $300K a year.
Perhaps we need reminding that the position of MP, many many decades ago, was a voluntary position. Then somehow, the corporate "pay peanuts and get monkeys" attitude started to prevail, and the renumeration started, and never stopped going up until public outrage contained the increases somewhat.
The problem today, is - just as in the corporate sector - the pay is no longer peanuts - but we still get lumbered with monkeys.

As peterc005 says, Bishops record of outstanding progressive ideas, infrastructure development proposals, and her initiation of economic advance programs, is dismal, to say the least.
She is the epitome of a classic "bench warmer", and she has advanced "through the ranks", not on merit, but on who she knows, and the seat she holds.

As much as I admire Dick, I think he has taken a particularly narrow view of Bishops value to the nation.
I tend to support John Laws approach to politicians renumeration and expenditure - give them all a set amount for their salaries and expenditure annually, and let them pay their expense accounts, employ their advisers, researchers, and general hangers-on, out of that set amount.
Once the initially-allocated amount is gone for that year, it's all gone, and there can be no requests for further funding. That'd see some value for money spent.

After all, Shires get Federal grants for roads and other projects, that are set amounts. The Shires have to get maximum value out of those grants, they are a fixed figure. No reason why pollies shouldn't be operating under the same system.

[Horatio Leafblower]

Dick,

To say that Bronny is the only MP "supporting" GA in Australia is not correct - as the press are pointing out daily, there are many MPs who use charter aircraft for legit purposes (although the media seem to infer that any use of an aircraft is elitist and unjustified).

The Canberra operator seem to win an awful lot of Government jobs nonetheless :rolleyes:

I had a meeting with NXT yesterday and I think they understand what we are all seeking to achieve with GA reform. See how we go.

[Rotor Work]

Tasmania has Senator Polley

Andrew Nikolic calls on Helen Polley to follow Bronwyn Bishop example and repay charter flights cost - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) (http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-07-16/nikolic-calls-on-tasmanian-senator-to-repay-charter-flight-costs/6625726)

Federal Government whip Andrew Nikolic is using Speaker Bronwyn Bishop's promise to repay taxpayers for a short but costly helicopter flight to pressure a Tasmanian Labor senator to repay her own charter flight costs.
Mrs Bishop has agreed to a pay back at least $5,000 for a taxypayer-funded, 90-kilometre helicopter trip (http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-07-16/bronwyn-bishop-agrees-pay-back-helicopter-flight/6623900) she took to attend a Liberal Party fundraiser last year.
Mr Nikolic would not be drawn on whether it was necessary or appropriate for the Speaker to repay the money but used the decision to reapply pressure on Tasmanian Labor senator Helen Polley to repay more than $20,000 worth of charter flights.
I challenge you to find any other politician in Tasmania that's used that extent of charter travel.

Andrew Nikolic

Between July 2011 and mid-2013, Senator Polley racked up a bill of $23,000 on eight return flights from Launceston to Hobart. (http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-05-19/senator-defends-2432c000-plane-flights-between-launceston-and/5461772)
Mr Nikolic claimed the cost had not been adequately explained.
"Senator Polley should follow Speaker Bronwyn Bishop's example and repay the $26,000, absolutely she should," he said.
"At the time of Senator Polley's flights she had no portfolio responsibilities.
"I challenge you to find any other politician in Tasmania that's used that extent of charter travel."
No comparison to Speaker's expenses: Polley

Senator Polley insisted the charter flight expenses were incurred on legitimate electoral business and has indicated she will not be repaying the amount.
Last year, she said diary pressures meant she did not always have time to make the two-and-a-half hour journey between Launceston and Hobart by car.
Asked for a response to Mr Nikolic's comments, Senator Polley said the purpose of her expenses was different to Mrs Bishop's.
"It's interesting that Mr Nikolic's approach would be to justify Bronwyn Bishop's use of her allowance would be to put the focus on me," she said.
"Well, quite frankly, there's a big difference between me working and servicing my electorate and Bronwyn Bishop attending a Liberal Party function."
Mr Nikolic was not convinced.
"The distance from Launceston to the airport is 20 minutes," he said.
"By the time you wait to get onto a charter aircraft and fly to Hobart it's probably an hour, and then it's another half-an-hour from Hobart Airport to the centre of Hobart.
"There's a couple of hours gone. What are you actually saving in terms of time one way?"

[Dick Smith]

Hold on everyone. My comment re Bronny was a joke!

The media wanted me to attack her and I did not wants to as I have more important things to expose - like Mr Truss never having one view in relation to Australian aviation after 10 years of involvement !

[Slugfest]

Dont' worry Dick, I got it ... I take all things you say as a joke.

[OZBUSDRIVER]

BaBoom...tishhhh:D

[Dick Smith]

sluggo In future I will make things simpler for people like you!

[Slugfest]

...and the jokes keep coming. :ok:

[Andy_RR]

Lost opportunity for the GA industry to turn this fiasco into a public rant/exposé on how expensive CASA is making air charter and private flying in general.

Obviously GA has few friends in the media. Is that some of its problem?

[gerry111]

"Obviously GA has few friends in the media. Is that some of its problem?"


I suspect the correct answer is: Yes. To Joe Public, GA is all about wealthy people flying unsafe Cessnas that regularly crash.