Hopefully aussie pilots vote with their feet and follow the coin
Whilst I can certainly understand why you have chosen to vote with your feet, that does not address the underlying problem.
The sheer vastness of the Australian continent, coupled with low population outside the capital cities and a general decline in regional infrastructure, means that Australia will always be reliant on general aviation. I would hate to see a situation where the RFDS had to curtail their services, and they are but one example of an essential component of what we refer to as GA in Australia.
Regional Australia has perhaps the greatest opportunity it has ever had to become the food basket for Asia, but inevitably this will rely in part on decent infrastructure and a healthy GA sector.
I applaud Dick for being willing to stick his head up and speak for our industry. Much better than having someone state (10 years down the track) ".....how did this happen......." or "....why didn't someone say something....."