I would say that it would be easier to teach most of the experienced RFDS crew to fly a jet rather that to teach an experienced jet guy to fly and land on dark black nights in the outback with flares.
Don't agree, Stallie. For starters, the jet won't be landing in the outback with flares. As machtuk has said, it is a big step up from the slower and more forgiving turboprop.
Such training of the PC12 pilots would have consisted of at least 12 months ICUS, but they needed pilots much more quickly than that. And they will be single pilots. If it had been a two pilot ship, then it could have been a PC12 pilot in the RH seat virtually from day one.
I expect the RFDS will have their eye on a scheme where certain qualifying PC12 pilots (ATPL'd with sufficient multi-engine time) will, via 18-24 months ICUS, attain the standard for single pilot of the jet. It will take that long because these pilots will still be needed to fly the PC12 in the interim.