Who is going to pay, Mr Albanese?
22nd December, 2009
In his ill-tempered Christmas spray at my concerns about the Rudd Government’s new slug on regional aviation, Transport Minister Anthony Albanese has failed to answer the one obvious question – who is going to pay for his new mandatory security requirements?“Just as he relaxes airport security himself, Mr Albanese strangely attacked me today for being ‘irresponsible’ on these matters,” said Shadow Transport Minister, Warren Truss.
“I think regional communities around Australia will actually find it quite responsible that I pointed out they face massive fare rises under the new Albanese regime for aviation security.
“Nowhere in his plainly wrong and bile-ridden statement does the Minister explain who will be forced to pay for the decision to introduce mandatory security checking for larger turbo-prop passenger aircraft in at least 20 regional airports.
“One thing is for certain – it is the regional flying public who will cop it in the end, or lose their air services altogether.
“Labor says they will work with affected parties to implement the new measures but that means telling them what the decision is, threatening them if they complain and going ahead with no thought of the consequences.
“Mr Albanese says three airports I mentioned – Blackwater, Barcaldine and Blackall in Queensland – do not operate particular turbo-prop aircraft which would necessitate the security upgrade.
“I can only suggest he gets out of his Canberra or Marrickville bunkers and finds out what is actually going to occur at these airports in the future.
“Mr Albanese also says four other airports already have baggage or passenger screening or are investing in it. But they will all incur greater costs to meet the proposed new standard which will be passed on to passengers who currently do not have to pay.
“The Minister invokes the need for improved security in one paragraph but then in another says the decision was a ‘common sense change – nothing more, nothing less’. In the wake of September 11, the former Coalition government did not receive security advice of this nature. So what has changed in the past few months?
“In another Aviation White Paper decision, the Government wants to introduce hardened cockpit doors on some aircraft that may in fact have no passengers flying on them.
“This document is more rice paper than White Paper – it is flimsy, of little substance and many of its conclusions are poorly thought through,” Mr Truss said.
