Background

In the aviation industry, particularly Australia, the regulator has unlimited power to be Judge, Jury and executioner.

This leads to serious doubts by the user of the system in how he or she will be dealt with if there is an infraction.

It leaves those accused of an infraction with the AAT or Federal Court. The AAT has quite different rules as to evidence, which allow a much lower level of proof for “statements” made by the regulator compared to Federal or Supreme Court “Rules of Evidence”. Further, does CASA behave as a “model litigant“.

Further, with the matters raised as a result of the “PelAir” report by the Australian Senate, the ATSB also has serious questions to answer as to how it treats the regulator [CASA] when the regulator fails in it’s statuatory obligations, through the SR/SA [Safety Recommendation/Action] system and the “softening” of requirements.

In this web site, we are attempting to bring together information that can help others to understand why the regulator is taking a particular stand and publish difficult to find material from a range of publicly available sources, including FOI applications, Senate Inquiries and a range of publicly available web and other sources.

The replacement of all the CASA regs with the US-FAR’s would be a distinct improvement and a complete re-write of the CAAct and associated Acts would assist in getting the aviation industry rolling again.

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July 2014: What’s to come??

17th July 2014: Senators Heffernan and Sterle put a second “Contempt of parliament” for consideration.

14th July 2014: geoff Boyd of RAAA appointed to CASA Board – Is this a cynical sop to the Industry, as Boyd was out spoken earlier???

10th July 2014: Senator Xenophon puts “Contempt of parliament” for consideration

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June 2014:

27th June 2014: Mrdak gets a 5-year re-appointment????

13th June 2014: ASRR panel release the public submissions and redact [confidential submissions] over 70 of the 269 submissions

3rd June 2014 – Minister Truss releases ASRR Report

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May 2014:

29th May – Minister Truss says that MH370 search is “…back to square one…”

There is Senate estimates on the Budget 2014: Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Infrastructure and Regional Development: Monday, 26 May and Tuesday, 27 May 2014

This is the month of the Australian Budget and questions for reduction of costs imposed on the aviation industry.

It is also the month for the submission of the ASRR report to the Minister.

A very important report that will either give life or death to the aviation industry.

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April 2014:

Minister Truss takes 40 minutes to mention anything about aviation and in the questions [by the journalists], which go for 35 minutes, not a single aviation question.

Does the Minister need some questions asked??

Minister Truss addresses the Press Club in Canberra – 30th April 2014

Minister Truss gets the KSA announcement done today (15th April 2014) and Badgery’s Creek is alive.

Parliament releases next sitting days as May 13, 14 and 15th May, with Estimates on: 26, 27,28 and 29th May, then continued 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th June.

ASRR report due out in May 2014

Angus Houston takes charge of MH370 recovery – ATSB removed from obvious involvement

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March 2014:

CASA attempts to smooth over the industry

Government Response to the PelAir Senate Inquiry [March 20th 2014]  See: PelAir Senate Inquiry

Legislation into the Australian Parliament to increase the number of people on the CASA Board by two.

Release of PelAir Ministers response due on 27th March 2014 ??
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February 2014: 260 submissions to the ASRR but only a handful are public.

there has been no publication of non-confidential submissions to the ASRR.
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January 2014 The current inquiry is the ASRR [Aviation Safety Regulatory Review] as a result of the PelAir Inquiry completed in May 2013, with a reply [to the PelAir inquiry] given to Minister Albanese on 5th May 2013, but no action by the Member for Marrickville. ASRR calling for submissions now [by 31st January 2014] with a report in May 2014.
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18th November 2013:

But on 18th November 2013, under questioning in the Senate, Mike Mrdak said he gave a report to Minister Albanese on 5th June 2013 [before the election] but nothing has been heard in the public sphere from Albanese.

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October 2013: The Coroners Report came out in October 2013 for Hemple.

The Coroner for the Hemple Affair is on Monday 18th March 2013 and then Friday 22nd March. There is no news yet as to when the final report will be made. In June 2013, the Coroners report is expected by August 2013.

See:  http://vocasupport.com/?page_id=173

Australian Story makes interesting watching.

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September 2013: Change of Government and Mr. Warren Truss becomes Minister, Mike Mrdack remains Head of Department
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31st August 2013

Still no update on when a response to the senate. Minister Albanese chased down the street by a Prime News reporter, refusing to answer PelAir questions.
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August 5th 2013: Australian Parliament porouged
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24th July 2013

The latest is the ATSB referring it’s “Operation” to the TSB of Canada for a report.

This happened on 24th July 2013 in the Board meeting, that according to Dolan’s reply to the Senate was his response to the PelAir inquiry. The TOR’s have not been published and appear restricted in extent.
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May 2013:

Current Inquiry [Report castigating CASA and ATSB out May 2013]:

The current Senate inquiry into aviation, which continues on 28th February 2013 will delve further into the dubious relationships between the regulator [CASA] and the accident investigator [ATSB].

The report is now “out” and the full details are here.
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Diagnostics for Cars
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