Air Traffic Control Issues

[Brissy1]

No trainee involved

Well that would certainly change things.

If ATSBs statement "training underway in the tower" and
Airservices statement "supervising controller immediately identified the potential for conflict and directed the controller to cancel the take-off clearance"
but there's no trainee, then yes sounds like a cover-up

 

[Melburnian1]

The episode isn't helping to instil confidence in airline passengers within, out of and into Australia.

A cover-up would be most unlikely to occur in a more easily visible surface mode such as rail over which the ATSB also has jurisdiction, so it ought not be tolerated in aviation or for that matter, marine.