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Glen Buckley and Australian small business -V- CASA

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Glen Buckley and Australian small business -V- CASA

Old 6th Apr 2019, 02:26
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Glen Buckley and Australian small business -V- CASA

Good afternoon, my name is Glen Buckley, the CEO of the Australian Pilot Training Alliance. I live at 36 Essex Road in Mount Waverley (no longer at this address) and absolutely stand 100% behind everything I will shortly be writing on here. My story is long and detailed, but it is the correct forum. What I am writing will be in the public interest. I will return over this weekend, and commence outlining my situation.

I have written to the CASA Board on multiple occasions, and those appeals have been completely ignored, so here I am.

I have written to the CASA Board and advised them of the following

To the Board of Directors of CASA, my name is Glen Buckley, the CEO of the Australian Pilot Training Alliance ARN 759217. I am obliged to formally advise you that as the CASA Approved CEO of APTA I have lost all trust and confidence in CASA. I do not take the decision lightly and it is a well-considered decision. I appreciate that operational matters such as this, are outside your remit, but the reasons for this decision must be bought to the attention of the Board. Could you please advise Mr Shane Carmody, so that he can arrange for guidance on the procedure to be followed in such matters.

I have made repeated attempts to contact the Board and discuss my concerns. Those appeals to the Board have been completely ignored, hence my options for an internal resolution are fading quickly. With the recent Royal Banking Commission inquiry, we know what happens once a Board loses control over the ethics and good governance of an organisation. I will clearly demonstrate how CASA bought harm to me, my Business, my valued and highly professional staff, and Members. CASA actions were never based on safety concerns, and there were no regulatory breaches.

Personnel such as Mr xxx, Mr xxxx, And Mr xxxxx have been complicit in this behaviour, and it extends to

A blatant disregard for CASAs own Regulatory Philosophy
A blatant disregard for the PGPA Act, and gross wasting of taxpayer funds and resources
Breaches of CASA own Enforcement Manual
Technical incompetence on behalf of those personnel mentioned previously
Motivations by certain personnel within CASA that are not based on safety or regulatory compliance
False audit results/blatant untruths etc My assertions are well documented and supported.

The sending of this email coincides with me mounting a significant and very public campaign to highlight the culture that exists within the Organisation. Ultimately it is the responsibility of the Minister, the Honourable Mr McCormack, and it is in fact he, who is ultimately accountable, and will be held accountable publicly.

Multiple attempts to contact him over a protracted period have also been completely ignored. I am advising that I will be forwarding a copy of this document to him, and also to the Honourable Mr Barnaby Joyce who has the confidence and trust of the Aviation sector generally. I am able to meet with any two Members of the Board at the same time at any location in Australia over the next 7 days, if required. At that meeting I would require 90 minutes to present the facts to you. Respectfully

Glen Buckley

Last edited by glenb; 6th Apr 2019 at 03:37.
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3rd Oct 2023, 20:24
glenb
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The meeting -

The Meeting 03/10/23



For those that have been following this ongoing saga for almost five years now, I was finally able to have the opportunity to meet with the CASA Chair and CEO yesterday at Aviation House in Canberra.

I was advised in the morning that the Board Chair was unwell, and he would participate via a teleconference, which he did.

Many on here had strongly encouraged me to take a lawyer to that meeting. It was sound advice, and I did heed it. I also acknowledge that I heeded it too late. I established contact with one of Australia’s leading lawyers on the relevant topics. It was a matter that he expressed enthusiasm to be involved in. He met with Partners of the firm, and as the firm does work for CASA, the decision was made that he was unable to assist me in this matter. It was too late for me to obtain another lawyer with the relevant expertise at such short notice, so my wife and I attended alone.

We were met by Ms Spences PA who took us upstairs where we met Ms Spence (CASA CEO) and Mr Hanton, the Industry Complaints Commissioner. The Chair, Air Chief Marshall (Retd) Mark Binskin AC via teleconferencing.

With the pleasantries out of the way the Chair opened the meeting.

What my wife and I received was a very sincere acknowledgement. There was an acceptance by CASA, and an apology. I was advised that my matter had been bought to the attention of both the CEO and Board Chair prior to their appointments. I was advised that there had been CASA learning outcomes as a result of my matter, and that it was a significant factor in the restructuring within CASA to ensure more consistent messaging. To me that demonstrated a commitment to “continuous improvement”, and I felt that was a positive.

Both the Chair and CEO were acting with “good intent” and I truly believe that. That is the critical factor that has been absent from the process throughout the last five years, and that was another positive.

I was about to respond when my dear, usually fairly quiet wife interjected, and asked if she could read from a prepared speech. Prior to the meeting she queried if she could say something, and of course I said yes. I thought no more of it, until she came forward at the meeting.

I got a copy of that speech last night, and here it is. My wife is not a native English Speaker, and nor is she a public speaker. She was in a situation that was well outside of her comfort zone.

There was a man who worked hard to start his business. When he started he looked after Employees and students really well, he was very caring and generous to them, always trying to help. Everyone loved him. He didn’t want to buy luxurious house and car because he didn’t want to use the money the Company made for him and his family, so he could pay employees more money. He is the person always happy to help people.

One day he was told to close his business, he had to tell his wife and family they had to sell the house to keep paying staff. He couldn’t understand why.

He was trying to find the answers, talked to people, sending emails.

He started not to be able to sleep. It affected family badly. One day his wife asked him how we can pay the piles of bills, he started to throw them, screaming, “cant pay this, cant pay this, cant pay this” His daughter was there, she had to walk away late at night and didn’t come back for many hours. She was very upset to see her own Dad struggling. His wife had to ask the oldest son who was 18 years old at that time to pay the bills.

His wife cried that night. His wife knew that the youngest son had old school shoes with holes but didn’t want to tell his Mum because he knew that his parents didn’t have any money at all.

Family was suffering so much. The man started working again outside of flying, and he changed a few jobs.

He was still fighting over his problems, he gets up at 2AM or 3AM in the morning, takes the laptop with him to the park and started typing ( my note. Its not that bad, I actually go to a 24-hour pancake Parlor and sip lattes)

He hasn’t slept more than 4 hours a night for 5 years, and his wife ha\s been working 55 hours a week during the day and doing two overnight shifts a week for years.

The man was exhausted with this issue. He was on the way home from work, he saw lots of nice houses that people own, doing their gardening, and walking dogs. It became too much the enormous loss. He stopped the car and started taking all his sleeping pills. He had enough.

Please imagine if that man was your husband, son, brother, father or friend.

All I want from this meeting is you to talk to my husband with respect and treat him like a human being.

My wife delivered that with tears rolling down her cheeks, and trembling. It was a very powerful message, and I do think it set the tone for a productive meeting.

Unfortunately, I’m running out of time, as there are cleaning products to be delivered.

I am currently awaiting correspondence from CASA. I will come back with significantly more detail tomorrow morning hopefully.

To summarise. Very frank admissions on matters of “manner” but not “lawfulness”

Importantly it was made very clear that there would be no opposition to an application for an Act of Grace payment and in fact there would be tacit support of that process.

There is much more that I would like to write, and I will tomorrow.

As a note. Despite the technology so readily available, I did not make any recording of the meeting, and I did not take any notes, so the meeting contents are very much hearsay, and therefore based on my recollection,



Back tomorrow withy more. Cheers.
Old 6th Apr 2019, 04:45
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Wishing you luck Glen.
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Old 6th Apr 2019, 05:37
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Good luck to you Glen.

But I fear CAsA are unaccountable to you, the public, the industry, the minister or the Parliament.

As has been demonstrated so many times they are capable of anything, legal or illegal, if someone
threatens their rice bowl.

I don't believe anything short of a Judicial inquiry, preferably, or a royal commission with the same powers,
is capable of taking them on with any chance of a positive result. There are quite a few of them that should
be in jail, but as someone once said "the law is for everyone, justice is for them that can afford it" and CAsA
has the public purse to draw on.
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Old 6th Apr 2019, 10:22
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get on facebook and twitter ASAP. The Minister will refer everything to the Department and they will refer it to CASA and they will refer it to your tormentors who will respond as you would expect.

Your only hope is to go public but with an election in the offing you will get no traction. Best to build your case for a new minister.

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Old 6th Apr 2019, 12:34
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Admirable intentions for sure but don't let this consume you, CASA have a LOT of clout, your health and sanity they can break easily!
Good lick👍
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Old 6th Apr 2019, 13:50
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A little something I ran across today. Very apt description of CASA.

Oxford University researchers have discovered the densest element yet known to science.
The new element, Governmentium (symbol=Gv), has one neutron, 25 assistant neutrons, 88 deputy neutrons and 198 assistant deputy neutrons, giving it an atomic mass of 312.
These 312 particles are held together by forces called morons, which are surrounded by vast quantities of lepton-like particles called pillocks.
Since Governmentium has no electrons, it is inert. However, it can be detected, because it impedes every reaction with which it comes into contact.
A tiny amount of Governmentium can cause a reaction that would normally take less than a second, to take from 4 days to 4 years to complete.
Governmentium has a normal half-life of 2 to 6 years.
It does not decay, but instead undergoes a reorganisation in which a portion of the assistant neutrons and deputy neutrons exchange places.
In fact, Governmentium's mass will actually increase over time, since each reorganisation will cause more morons to become neutrons, forming isodopes.
This characteristic of moron promotion leads some scientists to believe that Governmentium is formed whenever morons reach a critical concentration.
This hypothetical quantity is referred to as a critical morass.
When catalysed with money, Governmentium becomes Administratium (symbol=Ad), an element that radiates just as much energy as Governmentium, since it has half as many pillocks but twice as many morons.

CASA can suck donkey balls!
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Old 7th Apr 2019, 02:58
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I know your pain and can commiserate. Been there, had that. Written to many, Boards , CEOs and etc ...WAWOFTAM.!
Join the call for a Royal Commission or Judicial Inquiry, so we the victims... and there are many, of the obscene bureaucratic buggery by CAsA ....can be heard.
Its long past time that CAsA's ****ty nappies should be hung on the public line for all to see.
UNTIL there is a major trauma for CAsA and the truth is out, we are just pushing it uphill

Perhaps we should have a nation-wide boycott and publicise the fact.
THAT this industry has no trust and respect for CAsA, its managemant and its Ministers..therefore.....
All aviators and businesses IF they unified and just ignored CAsA completely, there would be an effect.
Ignore letters and calls , deny visits, close yr doors to the the venal visitors. Just get on with the normal things yr business does.
Difficult I know but it could be done. Better to do something legit than have to break the law like they do.
AOPA? B Morgan , K Cannane and others?..How about a full page ad in 'The Australian'

" If justice is not given to the citizens by Governments, and swiftly, then anarchy will prevail." B Franklin
I fell extremely anarchic....and so do many others.
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Old 9th Apr 2019, 23:04
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Support for Glen

I support Glen and would add my experiences of General Aviation, 53 years, variously as private aircraft and airport owner, and previously as Chief Pilot and Chief Flying Instructor. Still private flying but my life’s career was my own business in charter, flying training and scheduled services.

I testify to the main premise which is that GA is being throttled by an extremely detrimental and unnecessary regulatory and administrative regime. This has cost Australia dearly in aviation jobs, businesses and services over the last thirty years.

Overall safety has suffered greatly through loss of experienced personnel and lack of innovation, innovations in equipment and management due to the most stifling, hidebound, legalistic and fear engendering regime that could be invented. That this could happen in what is supposed to be a free country is shameful.

Every attempt to engage with those who might cause reform is worthwhile, but it is only Parliament that can or will alter the current trajectory, therefore the hard yards will be to convince MPs that they must make changes.
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Old 10th Apr 2019, 10:06
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Hi Glen, I think you have great intentions in what message you want to deliver to CASA. However, after reading your story, and having a few moments to absorb it in, I believe that you have gone on the ATTACK, and not going in as someone WILLING TO LISTEN.
What I mean by that is that every point has been negative about CASA, and you haven't even said something positive about any direction they're going. They must have done something you like, or a training plan that has been implented but not followed through that would've been ideal?
I find the only way to get meetings through letters is present your arguments in a way that they'll consider listening. Also document in your letter that you have proposals that may revolutionize the way they do business within GA, and regulations could be adapted to suit GA owner/operators.
There's so much to say, but I believe that you're going about it the wrong way.......... Am I only the only one to think so too?
Cheers KP
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Old 10th Apr 2019, 10:45
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KP, when your living is being destroyed for no good reason go quietly or fight back.

Quote Glen “I have made repeated attempts to contact the Board and discuss my concerns. Those appeals to the Board have been completely ignored,..”
Many others have tried to engage respectfully with the Board and the (fatuously titled) Director of Air Safety. Hundreds have expended untold hours writing submissions, emails and letters to the powers that be. More thousands of GA professionals have burnt the midnight oil for months and months on end, unpaid, simply to satisfy the never ending CASA regulatory changes. These changes have made more paperwork and do nothing for safety, but do make GA business less profitable.
Numerous government inquiries, such as the much vaunted Forsyth report, have been consigned to the rubbish bin.
KP I fear your idea to listen to CASA’s reasons for their incompetence will be a waste of time. Unfortunately we are way past what one would consider fair, rational and normal discussions or negotiations.
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Old 10th Apr 2019, 11:57
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KP, when I first visited this website I too counseled principled engagement with CASA as the only way forward. This was based on my own experience in the public service.

However, this only works when both sides are dealing “in good faith” and sadly, as evidenced by the main conclusion of the Forsyth review, this is not the case for according to the review CASA has lost the trust of the industry.

So I now believe Mr. Reith is correct; only the Politicians can fix this mess and you need to grab them by the short and curlies to force reform to happen.

Without reform of The Act and CASA my fears are that we will next see widespread low level corruption, general law breaking as people give up trying to comply, flight of capital, more shonky operators and more and worse accidents. The real damage will be done when Qantas , Virgin and the regionals decide its attractive to start cutting corners to remain competitive.
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Old 10th Apr 2019, 23:47
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"The real damage will be done when Qantas , Virgin and the regionals decide its attractive to start cutting corners to remain competitive."

Well they are cutting corners now, and have been for a while!
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Old 11th Apr 2019, 01:51
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Election called, government in caretaker mode. No point asking CASA for anything till new Minister has feet under table. The best you can do is help elect independents because they might just end up holding the balance of power. Libs, Labs and greens will do nothing for you.
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Old 11th Apr 2019, 05:50
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KP... have a yarn with CAsA ... and all you get regarding yr issues is lies and BS. They WILL NOT admit their mistakes, and will break the Law to cover their respective arses.
And quite happy to keep criminals on the public payroll
No use approaching the current feather duster, our little 'democratic' flutter looms. Pity we cant vote on CAsA and any Minister
Whoopee a new "minister".shortly He/she will put a stamp on Aviation probably with a silly 'White Paper' as did Albo.mnay moons ago..which didnt even mention GA.
As one response from a minder told me,we have the worlds best safety record, Australia is mainly flat and our weather is good.
How on earth could there be any problem then.
Cantberra sure is Cloud Cuckoo Land.
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Old 11th Apr 2019, 06:53
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What is the difference between a Judicial enquiry and a Royal Commission? Which is best?
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Old 11th Apr 2019, 07:45
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Originally Posted by Dick Smith
What is the difference between a Judicial enquiry and a Royal Commission? Which is best?
The difference is the ones that will fall.

As we have seen the Royal Commissions cut a few heads off but leave the dirty workers safe to be promoted. The Judicial Enquiry's cut out some of the rot in mid/upper mid high levels but leave the head alone.

So we actually need both.
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Old 11th Apr 2019, 09:00
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Excuse my cynicism but I lived through the Bjelke-Peterson dictatorship - one of his famous sayings was "never call for a Commission or Enquiry unless you know what the outcome will be". And before you remind me of the Fitzgerald Enquiry, he did not call that, Bill Gunn did while Jelke was out of the country!
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Old 11th Apr 2019, 22:19
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1 of 20

As stated previously I do intend to start outlining my experience with CASA. I am expecting a report from the CASA Industry Complaints Commissioner to be presented today, and the results of that will be informative. I will outline the journey over 20 posts, and label them accordingly, to hopefully make it easier to follow. I appreciate that this will be long and detailed, and perhaps of limited interest. However, if you are an existing business owner,or a prospective business owner in the aviation sector, I feel this is important. I welcome any feedback, and call on anyone to challenge anything I say, and I will provide the required supporting evidence.

A couple of ground rules that I want to lay down before I commence.

CASA operate under the Australian Coat of Arms, and that places the highest obligations on the people that work within that organisation. The Coat Of Arms is the Australian Governments seal of quality. The taxpaying public and industry stakeholders are quite reasonable to have a high expectation of that Organisation. An expectation of good governance, ethics, and fairness is a reasonable expectation.

When I refer to CASA, I am not referring to the 900 personnel that work within CASA. The vast majority of them are exceptional people, and highly professional, and Industry will most likely concur with that assertion. The Organisation has almost no accountability however, and that permits an environment where bad ethics can creep in, and people can act for motivations that are not safety or compliance related. The culture of any Organisation is set from the top, and that is where the accountability must lie.

CASA is required to achieve "clear and concise aviation safety standards". It is a requirement placed on them in the Act, as one of their core functions. It is not a "nice to achieve", its actually a requirement. A recent poll on pprune with over 900 respondents suggested the following. 97% voted that CASA have failed to achieve clear and concise aviation safety standards, 2% voted that CASA have succeeded, and 1% were undecided. That really is a staggering figure. Consider any organisation that had feedback from 97% of its customers or stakeholders, that it had failed against its core function. That alone, should prompt a Royal Commission.

Anyway, that's the end of post 1/20, and I will return with post 2/20. Thanks again for the support, cheers. Glen

By the way KP , my first post contained my correspondence to CASA. If it was the start of the journey, I would concur with your sentiments. It is however the tale end of a 6 month battle which I will outline here. By the time I have finished post 20, and outlined my experience, I would be genuinely appreciative of your opinion.

Last edited by glenb; 11th Apr 2019 at 22:23. Reason: addition for KP
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Old 12th Apr 2019, 00:46
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Hi Glen & others
Below is a current job opening released at CASA (and another 2 similar positions that came through on my subscribed CASA emails). It's ironic that about your post, because they must be aware of the change that is required that you speak of. This job is for a Business Transformation Specialist. And other similar jobs on the CASA site too.... IF YOU CAN'T BEAT THEM - JOIN THEM .... Is that how the saying goes?

I do not disagree with anything anyone has written. In fact, I'll be eagerly awaiting your brief overviews of your dealings with them.
Searching through their cumbersome website daily for rules & regulations is a bit frustrating & daunting. Maybe you could get them to sort out that as well with a better search function!
And having been involved with a RAMP check by CASA on the tarmac a while ago, the CASA guys seemed reasonable. Only had a few engineering issues on the maintenance release which was nothing really, just not complied with in part 2 properly.
The real issue is to make GA profitable again, keeping rules simple, whilst maintaining a good safety record which most have done. There's too many road blocks that even students/new pilots coming through the industry deter them away from flying! It's easier to just work as a tradie & fly PPL they think, instead of achieving CPL/ATPL and going on to fill the shortage of pilots.
Cheers KP

Last edited by Kulwin Park; 12th Apr 2019 at 08:14. Reason: bad wording
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Old 12th Apr 2019, 02:15
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I will outline the journey over 20 posts,
Perhaps post them on a website elsewhere, and a link or links to them here maybe with dot point summary?

I suspect few here are going to wade through 20 posts.

Just a thought.
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