[Peetwo]

Amazing the little snippets you pick up reading through a newspaper.

Little bits and pieces, totally unrelated to aviation, and as you read through them parallels keep bobbing to the front of your consciousness.
The terrible evils that has been inflicted on not just aviation, but almost every industry in Australia by rampant million dollar mandarins.

I’ve never been much for the conspiratory theorists, but one really has to wonder just what sweetheart deals have been done by these elites and their political masters?
Some would say that political donations to subvert the outcome of a safety enquiry conducted by an allegedly independent authority is corrupt.

Others would wonder just what was promised to gift a billion dollar a year tax free monopolies, with little in the way of controls, to a big bank known for its border line ethics, or with the subversion of the Airports Act and associated airport leases to development sharks.

I say, one has to wonder, because imagination is a wonderful thing and when things are occurring that make absolutely no sense and are completely illogical, its not hard to imagine rampant corruption must be driving it, a logical conclusion.

From my imagination, a completely fictitious story. The names of the characters are entirely drawn from my imagination and bear no resemblance to any person either living or dead.

It was a dark and stormy night, (all stories start out with that) the two huddled over a table in a dimly lit room, the wafting aroma of hundred dollar Cubans drifted through the air.
A decanter of single malt had been back and forwards a few times topping up the cut crystal glasses when the tall immaculately coiffured man in the thousand dollar suit leaned forward and fixed his opposite with a steely gaze, which was difficult with his dough eyes and mascara.

“These bloody aviation IOS are really giving me grief Murky. Jeez their even getting stuff into the mainstream press for god’s sake, I could lose votes if it doesn’t stop, those touchy feely press releases you keep putting out just makes it worse, now their taking the piss out everything every time I open my mouth .”


The rotund gentleman with the strange pumpkin shaped head  brushed some ash off  his thousand dollar suite (Savil Row) took a sip of his scotch, puffed his cigar back into life, the thought “only to change feet” crossed his mind, but he replied.

“Yaaaess minister, I agree the IOS are getting out of hand, what would you suggest we do, the aviation industry is in such a parlous state, I accept its not all your fault but there are that many skeletons in the closet if they got out we could all end up in the Clink?”

“Hey you get paid the big bucks (amount is a state secret apparently) to keep things under wraps and make us look good” the minister responded.

“Might I suggest a good news press release, something that takes the spotlight of the dire state of the aviation industry and make it look like you are actually doing something decisive”.

The minister shuddered, frowned so hard his carefully plucked eyebrows met above his nose, pondered for a few moments as the gears ground slowly through his mind.
Finally his eyes widened and a broad smile crossed his face, he said.

“Look out, a epiphany is arriving” thought his mandarin.

“Maritime, yes, been nothing much reported on that. The last lot allowed the union to run rampant which pretty much buggered it, we can have a discussion paper to run with, bugger all chance we can actually do anything so I can't make it worse besides we can blame it all on the other lot and bash the unions at the same time”.

“Wow!” reflected old pumpkin head, “he’s actually come up with not a bad idea all on his own”

Which brings me to the point:

An article in the Australian on March 21st by David Crowe,

CHESTER TESTS THE WATERS WITH BID TO CUT SHIPPING RED TAPE

Meanwhile aviation languishes on the edge of the scrap heap.

Excellent tale thorny and not at all hard to visualise...

Funny you should mention the Oz article, because while trolling the internet yesterday I noted the following Media Release from miniscule 6D's office...

Call for comment on proposed coastal shipping reforms
Media Release
DC063/2017
21 March 2017

• Aim is to ensure coastal shipping carries an increased share of the national freight transport task
  
• Proposals would substantially reduce regulatory burden
  

The Federal Government is proposing greater flexibility for coastal shipping and new training opportunities in a discussion paper aimed at boosting coastal shipping activity.
Commonwealth Government is seeking comment from ship operators, shipping companies, and other relevant stakeholders on proposed changes to ensure coastal shipping plays an increasing role in Australia's freight transport network.

Releasing the government's Coastal Shipping Reforms Discussion Paper today, Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Darren Chester said coastal shipping could take long distance cargo off our highways and railway lines to ease future freight demands on the national transport network.

“Currently, 15 per cent of Australia's domestic freight is moved by ship, but with Australia's extensive coastline and broad network of ports, there is the potential for shipping to play a larger role in the national freight task,” Mr Chester said.

“However, it has become clear that limitations in the current regulatory system are working against that potential being realised.

“We need to address a range of administrative issues in the Coastal Trading (Revitalising Australian Shipping) Act 2012, which place unnecessary burdens on shipping companies and the Australian businesses that rely on coastal shipping.

“The intention of this discussion paper is to elicit views about how modifying the Act could help to redress this situation, without changing the basic structure of the current coastal trading regulatory regime.

“The discussion paper also proposes the introduction of a number of seafarer training initiatives aimed at developing and retaining critical maritime skills in Australia,” Mr Chester said.

Written submissions to the discussion paper should be sent to shipping@infrastructure.gov.au by Friday, 28 April 2017.

To download copies of the Coastal Shipping Reforms Discussion Paper go to: www.infrastructure.gov.au/maritime

P2 comment - Passing strange how the Maritime boys'n'gals DP very closely matches the miniscule's ToR for his (O&O) GA review:

Major study of General Aviation sector

Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Darren Chester today announced a major study will be undertaken to identify priorities for General Aviation (GA) in the future.

...Study will cover issues ranging from regulatory and cost issues affecting the sector..

 
And this was the Oz article to which thorny refers...

New push to cut red tape on coastal shipping law

Transport Minister Darren Chester wants to cut red tape on coastal shipping laws.

• David Crowe
  
• The Australian
  
• 12:00AM March 21, 2017
  [img=0x0]http://pixel.tcog.cp1.news.com.au/track/component/author/26c1a3565784358517c72a43bfebc3ee/?esi=true&t_product=the-australian&t_template=s3/austemp-article_common/vertical/author/widget&td_bio=false[/img]
  

The federal government is renewing its push to open up the coastal shipping trade in a bid to cut costs for Australian producers, arguing that red tape is choking the sector.
Transport Minister Darren Chester will launch the attempt within days to scrap rules making it too hard to ship cargo within the country, leading to cases where employers must move items by road at a much higher cost.

After losing a row with Labor over a “Work Choices on water” reform fiercely opposed by the Maritime Union of Australia, the government is moving carefully with a discussion paper to map out new reform options within days.

About 15 per cent of Australia’s domestic freight is carried by ship but the industry believes this could be higher if the rules were more flexible, taking cargo off the roads and cutting costs.

At stake are rules put in place by Labor transport spokesman Anthony Albanese as infrastructure minister in the Rudd and Gillard governments, which sought to protect Australian shipping against foreign-flagged vessels.

Mr Chester’s discussion paper will canvass changes to the Coastal Trading Act to remove a “minimum five-voyage requirement” for temporary licence applications for domestic shipping.

Another change mooted is the removal of the mandatory consultation time with domestic ship owners when there are no Australian vessels of the right type to carry a cargo.

Customer groups, including the Australian Institute of Petroleum and fertiliser company Incitec Pivot, have called for big changes to the consultation process so they have more freedom to find an alternative ship.

A third change canvassed is to remove red tape for the cargo tolerance limits in coastal shipping.

“There is the potential for shipping to play a larger role in the ­national freight task,” Mr Chester said. “However, it has become clear that limitations in the current regulatory system are working against that potential being realised.”

Transport companies and customers pushed for change in 2014 to unwind some of Labor’s laws, which included rules that forced shipping companies to pay local wages to foreign seafarers carrying domestic freight between Australian ports. Business has argued it wants greater choice between shipping companies operating in Australia’s coastal waters.

But while former deputy prime minister and Nationals leader Warren Truss tried to impose new laws, the move was defeated in the Senate as Mr Albanese blasted the rules as “Work Choices on water”.

Obviously 6D believes he is on a winner with these government reviews/discussion papers. It is in his eyes a perfect foil, where the government appear to be doing something positive and proactive but in reality doing bugger all and merely buying time till the next election where the cycle begins all over again - FDS...


MTF...P2