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Mick Toller speaks on CASA's safety systems approach, his own future

Compere

The Transport Safety Bureau will today inspect engine parts that fell off a Qantas jet in Sydney. The Boeing 747 lost two one metre panels, but the airline says passengers were never at risk.

The incident is the latest in a string of mishaps that have cast doubt over the safety of Australian airlines. There've also been questions about the role of air safety watchdog CASA. It's Chief is Mick Toller, who joins us now from Canberra.

Good morning to you.

Mick Toller

Good morning, Chris.

Compere

Well, Qantas tell us that there were no safety concerns, unless of course you happen to be standing under the thing when bits fell off the plane. But do you agree, is it good enough?

Mick Toller

Well, we're still waiting for the full details of this particular incident. That will involve some investigations by Rolls Royce, who were the manufacturer of the engine. It's certainly a problem that has happened before. Not often, fortunately. It does happen, generally on take off. And it doesn't have any effect on the performance of the aircraft.

Compere

But Qantas received warning about this last November from the manufacturer, from Boeing, that this part might indeed be susceptible to falling off. Are you satisfied that it acted diligently?

Mick Toller

I think it's too early to be able to say that. We are aware of the fact that Rolls has informed the operators of the aircraft that this is a problem. We understand, from Qantas, that they were aware of it. And obviously there will be an investigation. That investigation initially will be taken by the Transport Safety Bureau, which is quite correct.

Compere

All right. Now, through these last couple of months, of course, CASA's received a lot of criticism through it all. Former employees speaking out. The ALP basically calling for your head. We've had that damning internal report that was leaked. CASA seems to be under extreme pressure. Is the organisation suffering serious problems?

Mick Toller

Well, we're certainly under a big spotlight at the moment. You could almost say we're under a microscope, because people are looking at us minutely. No, I don't believe we are. I believe we were. And I think that we've got a bit of a time warp here.

When we look at the report that came out this week on the Qantas 1 accident in Bangkok, that report is specifically saying that the problems that we knew existed, or that we recognised existed, are being addressed. Are being addressed correctly. And it strongly comes out in favour of our new systems. The new way we're doing things. And is a strong endorsement of that.

Compere

Well, that incident, obviously, September 1999. We've had the Ansett - the history there that was going back 18 months. The problems with their 767s, which you failed to detect. Changes you say have taken place in the last two years, just didn't manage to pick those problems up.

Mick Toller

Well, the changes that we are starting were after the Qantas 1 accident, so I don't think that we can even reflect on that. We'll be looking into the Ansett issues to see what we should have found out and when we should have found it out. But there was no doubt in anybody's mind, who has a real knowledge of what's going on, that the changes that CASA has made are the right changes. They're not complete yet, because these changes take time. There has been some resistance to it, and you see that resistance particularly in comments from ex-staff members like Mr Wood, who resisted it at the time. But there's always resistance to change. That change is a necessary change, and it's a good change. And the ATSB have made that point very strongly.

Compere

Okay. Through all of this, obviously you yourself have come under enormous pressure. Your contract's obviously up in July. Will you survive? Will you be reappointed?

Mick Toller

Well, that's a decision that the Cabinet will be making. The Board has recommended that I be reappointed. At the end of the day, I'm willing to serve the public to the best that I can. If I am reappointed. And if I'm not, I'm sure that somebody else will do their best to do this very difficult job.

Compere

You're obviously gunning for that position. You want to take it?

Mick Toller

I believe that the changes that we're in the middle of at the moment are important. I think that CASA had a difficult history, and it really needs stability at this stage. And stability at the top.

Compere

The last time CASA came under this sort of spotlight was when Dick Smith was at the Chair. And he, of course, resigned after all of the controversies he endured. Not something you're considering?

Mick Toller

I'm not considering resigning at this stage, no. I think that there is always a time to go that's in the best interests of any organisation. I don't believe that, from my point of view, now is the right time for me to be leaving CASA.

However, as I say, it's not my decision; it's the government's decision.

Compere

All right. Mick Toller, thanks for being with us this morning on Sunrise.

Mick Toller

A pleasure.

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