The RAAF Roulettes are all part timers, full time employment as QFIs at CFS. So, they're not as polished as full time teams like the Red Arrows.
If you had to choose between no team and a part time team, surely the part time option is better. Part timers would be unlikely to achieve the consistent excellence that a full time team will produce. Don't get me wrong, I couldn't fly as well as the Roulettes if I had 10 years intensive coaching, but it's analogous to any pursuit where excellence is sought.
The other thing is that the Hawks make a far more impressive impact than do PC-9s (or Tucanos or other props). It isn't about impressing trained pilots, it's about impressing mug punters. The mug punters on the ground OOhh and Aahh much more when jets are flying. The Roulettes gave up their MB326s in favour of PC-9s about 14 years ago (?) and crowd interest dipped appreciably. Over Sydney Harbour in January 1996 the Red Arrows' Hawks were much more exciting than the Roulettes' PC-9s.
Let's hope it doesn't get to that, but Sky news reported the same story this morning. Also several warships to go and another 4 battalians to be chopped.
Cheers