Kerry O'Brien (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Transport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to Senator Abetz, the Minister representing the Minister for Transport and Regional Services. Can the minister confirm that the Civil Aviation Safety Authority is set to adopt the new minimum standards for pilot training of only 10 hours actual flight time from 23 November this year? Can the minister also confirm this when, according to safety data supplied by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, misinterpretation by flight crew members of information or instructions has increased by 36 per cent this year? Can the minister assure the Australian public that safety standards in Australian aviation will not be relaxed? Will he now rule out any change to standards that would compromise safety in Australian air space?

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The honourable senator is right that on 23 November 2006 the International Civil Aviation Organisation will introduce a new type of flight crew licence, to be known as the MPL, which will allow a copilot to fly passenger aircraft after the completion of a minimum of 10 hours solo flying in an aircraft. The existing Australian standard is 100 hours. The new MPL has not been adopted by Australia; it is subject to a review. Australia, as we would all acknowledge, has a proud record of aviation safety, and this government will not agree to anything that sacrifices the safety of passengers.

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority will soon begin a thorough consultation process with industry to determine whether it should increase the minimum standards before any change to the Australian standard is made. Rather than focusing on a prescribed number of solo flying hours, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority is moving towards the use of competency based training as the basis for assessing the skills, knowledge and standard of performance of Australian flight crew.

Kerry O'Brien (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Transport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Given that the minister has not ruled that matter out but said that it is under consideration and a safety case will be conducted, the minister clearly will not guarantee that the safety in Australian skies will not be compromised. Can he guarantee that any proposed regulatory changes by CASA will be subject to a full and thorough inquiry by the Senate through one of its committees? Given that the ATSB figures confirm that near misses in our skies have increased, is this the time to consider downgrading the training requirements for our pilots of large commercial aircraft?

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, that question highlights what happens when you have a predetermined supplementary question. I will read out again what I said:

This government will not agree to anything that sacrifices the safety of passengers.

Nothing can be clearer than that but, when you are an opposition devoid of any policy positions, you have to try to whip up a bit of hysteria around any possibility just to get a bit of traction in the media. As to whether the Civil Aviation Safety Authority’s views on this matter should be subjected to a further review by a Senate inquiry, I will put that matter to the Minister for Transport and Regional Services for his consideration.