CASA CEO John McCormick has called for an end to “mean-spirited, self-serving and frequently false accusations” against staff at the Authority, but has called on the industry to be more constructive with its criticism and feedback on the organisation.
McCormick made the calls in the latest issue of CASA’s Briefing newsletter. Quoting his testimony at a recent Senate Committee on Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport hearing, he said, “I have absolutely no interest in discouraging our critics from drawing CASA’s actual or assumed shortcomings to my attention, to the government’s attention or to the attention of the Australian public. As I said, I welcome and embrace this.”
But, noting that some individual CASA officers have been subject to personal attacks, he said, “If left unaddressed it impugns the reputations and integrity of committed, capable and professional individuals who are dedicated to critical, if sometimes thankless, regulatory and other safety-related tasks; and it takes a serious toll on the morale of the entire staff. To those who constantly challenge CASA to lift its game, I say ‘Thank you, and keep it coming!’ To those whose intent is merely to insult, denigrate, vilify and in some instances, I suspect, to defame individual CASA officers, unless and until they might be held accountable for their words and actions, I can only say ‘Shame’.”
