Mick Toller to go!

[Capt Claret]

ABC radio news has just announced that Mick Toller will stand down in two weeks. According to the Minister for QF, he wasn't pushed, but decided to go, inpart due to a wide ranging restructure designed to give the Govt. more control.

No links available to ABC or CASA web sites as yet.

Apologies in advance if my précis proves to be not 100% accurate. :}

[Travelling Toolbox]

Interesting times ahead:

News.com (http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,6792973%255E1702,00.html)

[Desert Flower]

MEDIA RELEASE
The Hon John Anderson MP
Deputy Prime Minister
Minister for Transport and Regional Services
Leader of the National Party
22 July 2003
A83/2003

DIRECTOR OF AVIATION SAFETY

The Director of Aviation Safety, Mick Toller, will leave the Civil Aviation Safety Authority on 8 August 2003, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Transport and Regional Services, John Anderson, announced today.

"Mick Toller has served CASA with distinction, in an extremely demanding, turbulent and difficult job over the last 5 years," Mr Anderson said.

"He was responsible for CASA's introduction of world firsts in competency-based training and fatigue management systems; he introduced the new Service Centre and the AOC Online system; and he significantly improved CASA's industry consultation through the Aviation Safety Forum and the Standards Consultative Committee.

"Under his leadership, and with my strong support, CASA's performance of its essential aviation role has developed and advanced considerably.

"We have now reached a stage where aviation safety issues are steadily and effectively progressed in close liaison between the Government, CASA and the aviation industry, and not on the front pages of the media.

"I would like to emphasise my respect for Mr Toller's achievements at CASA and wish him well for the future.

"On the recommendation of the CASA Board, I have appointed the Deputy Director of CASA, Bruce Gemmell, as its Acting Director pending the appointment of a substantive replacement," Mr Anderson said.

The Government has introduced legislation into Parliament to restructure CASA, with the abolition of the Board and the redefinition of the role of the Director as a chief executive officer with more direct links and accountability to the Minister for Transport and Regional Services. The legislation is expected to be passed in mid-August.

[Patriot One]

Totally inappropriate. Woomera

[Torres]

From News.com: "Essentially it's a slightly different animal that CASA will become," he told reporters.

"The new director won't report to the board, he'll report more to me as the minister and he's (Mr Toller's) thought long and hard about that – he liked working with the old arrangements."

Well, Minister, you'll have to get your act together if you want to take sole responsibility for CASA's missmanagement, because your performance (and understanding of aviation) to date hasn't been too bloody flash!:sad:

[Wheeler]

Patriot One, Could you expand on that a little?

[OzExpat]

Hmmm... wonder if he's got an eye on the CEO job at CAA PNG? :p

[Bart Ifonly]

I wonder if his replacement will be acceptable to AOPA:D :D :D

[Creampuff]

The acting Director is a professional bureaucrat. That's a step in the right direction.

You can expect the new director (if it's not Gemmell) to be a cross between Max Moore-Wilton and Leroy Keith.

[Traffic]

Creampuff

And where would the head on such a creature be located?

At least Mick can now get cracking on trying to make a small dent in his CX super in the years that remain. Maybe he can also do some work down in the circuit at Nowra.

[Rich-Fine-Green]

Sad to see him go.

IMHO - Toller did an OK job. Nice bloke 'off-duty' as well.

[Torres]

Yes, I quite liked him and I wish him well. We had our disagreements but at least he would rationally discuss an issue.

Now Minister, whilst you are at it, what about getting rid of some of the dead wood and incompetents in CASA's upper management? If you need a few names, let me know! :}

[Wirraway]

Wed "The Australian"

Politics grounds air safety chief
By Steve Creedy, Aviation writer
July 23, 2003

AIR safety boss Mick Toller is quitting the Civil Aviation Safety Authority 10 months early, saying he feels unsuited to the increasingly political nature of the job.

Mr Toller will end his tenure as CASA director on August 8 in the wake of a government decision to restructure the authority and replace his position with a new chief executive's role. The changes, due to go through federal parliament later this year, abolish the authority's board and make the chief executive more accountable to the Transport Minister.

Mr Toller had indicated in November he was willing to take on the new job. But he decided to leave next month as it became clearer as to what the post entailed, and on the assumption he would not be reappointed when his contract expired next July.

He said yesterday he had no doubt the changes would make the job more political, and that he felt there were others who could serve CASA better in that environment.

Transport Minister John Anderson denied that Mr Toller had been sacked, saying his departure was "a joint conclusion" and entirely amicable. "Mick himself has come to the conclusion that the new arrangements are not such that would particularly suit him," he said.

"I concur with that view. So does the board."

Deputy aviation safety director Bruce Gemmell will step into the director's role, pending the appointment of a permanent replacement within the next four to six weeks.

Mr Anderson ruled out a return to CASA for former chairman Dick Smith. A ministerial spokesman said later that Mr Smith had played no part in Mr Toller's departure.

Mr Smith became a strident critic of the chief regulator after the two clashed over airspace reform early in Mr Toller's tenure. Friction between the two ultimately forced Mr Smith's resignation.

Mr Toller courted further controversy over the handling of the aviation fuel contamination crisis in 2000, CASA's handling that year of the fatal Whyalla Airlines crash and the grounding of Ansett in 2001. But he is credited with bringing stability and reform to CASA.

Mr Anderson said Mr Toller had done a demanding, turbulent and difficult job with distinction.

"He's ensured that CASA has been prepared to take tough action when required, even though at times that's been very unpopular."

Opposition transport spokesman Martin Ferguson called on the Government to ensure that Mr Toller's replacement was capable of resisting pressure on issues such as airspace reform.

=========================================

[Icarus2001]

From Mr Anderson yesterday...

He liked working in the old arrangements, and I think thinks - and the board thinks - that the new arrangements will be different, and require a slightly different skill set.

A different skill set? Lovely polly speak but what does it mean?

[Rich-Fine-Green]

It means that Mick was not prepared to play 'Yes Minister'.

Anderson's people will now search the land to find a suitable sidekick that will jump when asked and fall on the sword if a 'paying passenger' so much as gets a skinned knee.

[B772]

Now that Mick Toller has departed from CASA I can reveal for those of you interested in Micks career that many years ago he inquired about a pilot position with AN.

[HotDog]

I hit Mick in the back with a stray golf ball, playing at the Royal Hong Kong once in a previous life.:p