[Kharon]

A twiddle – of three legged egg and spoon races.




I can’t paint a picture for nuts – so I rely on trusty Google to provide images. The one above, (the Bodgers race day) IMO, perfectly reflects the first event on the Wagga Reform Plate race day program. Well, it does.

There’s the government and industry tied together, carrying an egg, in a spoon, across a rough paddock; the agencies trying to win and a bit of pushing and shoving going on. You may wonder why the industry and government are tied together; well, ‘tis a simple enough matter.

Both want the one same thing – a safe, peaceful, profitable, productive industry. The departmental opposition seem hell bent on preventing that; for they loose more than the race.

This industry could quite well self regulate with a sensible audit/oversight program. Safety – (whatever that is). More accurately, the responsibility for ‘safety’ already, through the rules rests firmly and squarely on industry shoulders; which essentially leaves the ‘minister’ out of the dog house, when the unmentionable hits the windmill. Of course, self regulation is out of the question – however reasonable regulation, outcome based, non punitive (except for that which the law defines as ‘criminal’) under an Act of parliament which allowed for a sane rule set, would see government and industry bowling along to the finish line at a canter.

The only part of ‘aviation’ which draws down huge benefits from the present system are the safety agencies’ at a great, unnecessary financial impost to the public and returns nothing. It is this which takes away commonwealth funds which could be better used elsewhere, to the common good. That don’t make any sense to me at all.

The government can pick its own partner for the race – will it pick an expensive dead weight to lug around for zero return on investment - or a revenue generating industry employing thousands?

And NO Thorny- I will not set odds for a two horse, three legged race involving the carriage of eggs over bumpy terrain. Millions have been lost backing the wrong team – every time.

Bodging, by the way is great fun, difficult to get right, but carrying a pedal lathe through sunlit English forests to work on freshly chopped timber far from the townsfolk is a long remembered experience – especially when it rains……..

Toot toot.