Fed: Smith engaging in bizarre conspiracy theories on CASA: govt

AAP General News (Australia)
04-24-2001
Fed: Smith engaging in bizarre conspiracy theories on CASA: govt

Federal Transport Minister JOHN ANDERSON says former CASA chairman DICK SMITH is engaging
in bizarre conspiracy theories concerning the Civil Aviation Safety Authority.

Mr SMITH has claimed the aviation watchdog's threat to shut down Ansett was a sham.

Mr SMITH says CASA'S threat to issue a show cause notice to Ansett last Friday was
never to be acted on.

A spokesman for Mr ANDERSON says claims of collusion between CASA officers and Ansett
workers -- as suggested by Mr SMITH -- are impossible to believe.

He says it's the latest in a series of increasingly bizarre DICK SMITH conspiracies.

The spokesman says Mr SMITH had failed twice as chairman -- first with CASA's predecessor
the Civil Aviation Authority in 1990-92 and then with CASA in 1997-99 -- and had admitted
this himself.

The minister's spokesman says Mr SMITH was quiet about CASA last week because he had
established the regime that led to the maintenance problems emerging in 2000 and 2001.





CASA grounded Ansett's 10 Boeing 767s on Easter Thursday for overdue maintenance checks.

Two are back in the air but eight remain grounded as CASA inspectors work through piles
of maintenance documentation.

AAP RTV fh/jtb/klw

KEYWORD: ANSETT SMITH ANDERSON (CANBERRA)

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