From the Crikey grapevine, the latest tips and rumours …

Aviation agency in crash landing? The future looks grim for aircraft engineering workers in Victoria, with more bad news expected out of John Holland Aviation Services. Forty staff were laid off in a round of redundancies in July, and an insider says the company, an offshoot of the John Holland infrastructure group, wholly owned by Leighton Holdings, could be wound up within a month. The downsizing of contracts by Virgin led to the initial cull; given the current row between Qantas and Virgin the aviation climate doesn’t look like it will improve for domestic contractors any time soon.

A former senior employer who “had a lot to do with the financial situation there” stated he could not comment formally on the issue but had been “waiting” for news since leaving the company. The company declined to comment when questioned by Crikey. Do you know more? Drop us a line or use the guaranteed-anonymous form on the website

When officers flout the law. South Australian Supreme Court judge Anne Bampton took out a cyclist in a drink-driving case recently. But we’re told there’s another officer of the court in SA done for drink-driving that hasn’t come out in the media …

Rupert swimming with the fishers. Our favourite twit Rupert Murdoch was laying into German Chancellor Angela Merkel and waging class warfare in the United States this morning. But the News Corporation tsar still takes time out for a bit of recreational fish-watching

Rupert Murdoch tweet

We’ll leave you to make up your own jokes …

*Heard anything that might interest Crikey? Send your tips to boss@crikey.com.au or use our guaranteed anonymous form