[Peetwo]

All Pel-Air lines of obfuscation lead to?



Albo...err M&M



Couple more dusted off dots to add to the PelAir 'ditching of inconvenience' portrait but first a reference via this week's SBG: The best laid plans of mice and men.

Note that the date they were all received by the Committee Secretariat was on the 10 October 2012. However; the date that all the offending documents were copied/tabled, therefore made available for the Senator Committee members & public consumption, was on the 14 February 2013. This fits with the extraordinary revelations in the Senate inquiry public hearing the following day:  15 February 2013 Canberra, ACT
(HTML format) (PDF 104KB) (HTML & PDF)    

First QON & OBS (so far):

Q/ What was the delay in processing those documents?

Q/ In the context of this inquiry, how is it possible that such critical information and documentation effectively have been sat on (obfuscated), when the inquiry was still some 12 days from it's first public hearing?

&..

...What this appears to indicate is that the documents were sent collectively by an individual/entity/group, independent (officially) of either the ATSB or CASA. This IMO strongly suggests that this was a whistleblower(s) initiative. 

This opinion/suspicion is reinforced by the fact that the documents were received prior to the 1st public hearing and around the date the submissions from both the ATSB and CASA were received and/or copied/tabled.

Now it could be that the normally efficient Senate RRAT committee Secretariat suddenly got swamped by other priorities; or there was some sort of administrative glitch that prevented the 9 anonymously sent and inquiry 'critical' documents, from being processed/tabled for 4 months (128-129 days). However the evidence would appear to contradict the probability of such an aberration occurring.

To begin the timing of the received documents was within the original submissions due date and 2 days before the substantial submissions from the ATSB and CASA were received (& tabled). I can also personally attest (on behalf of PAIN) that subsequent 'supplementary' in camera submissions were processed and notifications of receipt were promptly sent within days of forwarding to the committee. 

I would also add that on a quick review of the 'additional documents received' list indicates that all other documents were tabled within days of receipt. All of these documents were received after the 10 October 2012.

Which brings me full circle back to my original QON (above) with the added QON of WHO or WHAT individual/entity could subvert/obfuscate/delay a parliamentary inquiry? 

For lots of unresolved COI issues, IMO the most obvious candidate that comes to mind is the former minister Albo...

Reference: The tale of Karen Casey post #97

..Coming back to the bizarre REX 250K donation to the federal ALP, when REX repeatedly made claims of a deep loathing of the Labor party and it's former miniscule for non-aviation Albanese, I came across another interesting tit-bit some 6 months after the VH-NGA ditching at Norfolk Island. In reference to this link - HERE - of the official opening of the REX affiliated AAPA (Australian Airline Pilot Academy) on the 27 May 2010...

...Hmm...I suddenly remembered why that date rings a bell...

From the 2nd supplementary submission by CASA to the Senate PelAir cover-up inquiry, Albo's anointed one, McComic attempted to throw the Murky handpicked Muppet Beaker under the bus (note the date):


Coincidence maybe but what would the chances be that Albo & Sharpie, the very next day, would not have discussed the potential PR disaster if the so called independent ATSB were to point out systemic failures from both the operator & the regulator in their final report??

Two years later REX was to give the highest political donation in their history (250K), not to the Nationals but to the ALP??  Yeah right - BOLLOCKS!

Remember this infamous CASA FOI document? https://www.casa.gov.au/files/foi-ef12-8481pdf



That email exchange was bizarrely made public on the CASA FOI disclosure log and was originally one of six documents released in response to a Karen Casey FOI request addressed to the office of the former minister for Infrastructure & Transport:

Date: Mon, 12 Nov 2012 19:30:40 +1100
Subject: FOI MO 13-03 [SEC=UNCLASSIFIED]

Dear Ms Casey

Decision on access - FOI MO 13-03 – Correspondence regarding Pel Air
 
I refer to your request for access to documents in the possession of the Office of the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (the FOI Act). 
 
Your request sought access to:
 
“specific documentation, that being letter or email, with discussion on the Pel-Air ditching between Mr Anthony Albanese, Mr John McCormick (CASA), Mr Martin Dolan (ATSB Chief Commissioner), Mr John Sharpe (REX/Pel-Air), Mr Lim Kim Hai (REX/Pel-Air), and anybody else in the Minister’s Office dated 18/11/2009 to current.”
 
A statement of reasons is attached.
 
Please note that of the attached documents, Document number 1 is an email which refers to two attachments. It was only identified today that these two attachments are within the scope of your request, and therefore I have commenced consultation on these two documents with the third parties subject to this correspondence. One of the third parties was unable to ok their release today and has raised concern that their release prior to consideration could be inconsistent with the Senate proceedings (and to do so may be a contempt of the Senate). Therefore in order to consult appropriately with the third party, consistent with the intentions of the FOI Act, I have withheld one of the two documents from today’s release. However, I will endeavour to send this through by the end of this week once the third party has responded to my consultation request.
 
Please contact me if you have any questions regarding the processing of your request. 
 
Kind regards

 
MTF...P2

Ps. From one of the five other documents released by Albo's office ( & bizarrely one by the CASA LSD/FOI office - ), we get a sense of the arrogance and contempt (the former aviation adviser to Albo) Craig Carmody had not only for Senator Xenophon but for the ABC 4 corners program:     

From: Carmody Craig

Sent: Friday, 24 August 2012 14:51

TO: REDACTED ; Dolan Martin

CC: REDACTED

Subject: RE: Norfolk Island Ditching. [SEC=UNCLASSIFIED]

Four Corners has investigated independently? Are they the new ATSB?

Also, if they are such great investigators – tell them to investigate the ATSB website and they will find the report.

CC

UDB! - Must have something to do with that name...