BigMike, let’s see if we can answer all your questions.
Ok, so what's the process to change the rules?
There isn’t one. The CAA know everything, they never make mistakes, so nobody will ever want any rules the CAA promulgate to be changed.
Why doesn't industry push for this or is it because of a vested interest in keeping the status-quo?
During the development of the JARs, input for flight crew licensing requirements was sought almost exclusively from the flight training industry. More training equates to more money for this industry.
UK to Australia is only an Air-law exam and flight-test, and same to most other places. Why isn't this recipical?
Because then everybody would run off to some place where they’d get realistic, useful training without heaps of additional trivia they’d never use after passing the exam, and pay normal rates for it, leaving the overpriced nitpickers in the JAA zone without their guaranteed customers.
Does the UK, and JAA in general, really think that making overseas qualified pilots re-sit all the exams again have any real merit, other than to line the theory school's pockets?
Well, yes. Other than the theory school, you also have to pay the CAA to sit these exams, which at 13 exams X a pretty penny = heaps of dosh.
Look at the rules for type ratings, what a joke. A guy with less than 500 hours on type has to re-do the rating in the UK to see if he's up to standard... your system is simply ridiculous.
Now look here old boy! WE invented flying, don’t you forget it, so we know what’s best and everybody knows you pay for the best and if you don’t want the best then frankly we don’t want you around I tell you these colonials another brandy James…