I don't think some of you give the average student pilot enough credit. Most people interested in a career as a pilot do a considerable amount of research before signing the dotted line.
Believe it or not, this is still an attractive career path. People are willing to endure the less than perfect pay and conditions offered in GA to get where they want to be. It's the same in many other industries. Find a trade apprentice and ask him how well he gets looked after - why would he put up with this? Same answer - the rewards are there if you're willing to do the hard yards. I'm not saying it's right, but you can't control the free market (although many have tried).
As flyby said, things are changing with the rapid airline hiring in NZ at present. This means one of two things for the GA pilot:
1. More money/better conditions, and/or
2. Lower hour/qualification requirements for progression
...Just read max's post - great minds....