Bushy:
GA is flooded with inexperienced pilots who only intend to stay for a short time and are not really interested in the organistion they work for or the future of the industry. Most see it as some horrible thing they have to do in order to get a job with an airline. Many use derogeratory terms for anything to do with GA and are not really suitable for much of the work, because of their attitude. Many are prepared to work for half the award rates, for a short time, and many do.
Yes, the industry is flooded with inexperienced pilots but you are quite wrong to accuse them of being disinterested. Young pilots do not spend thousands of dollars on a CPL, type ratings and an instrument rating just to be disinterested.
Unfortunately the flying schools do not warn them that some parts of GA can be full of sharks. It is all too easy for disillusionment to set in when a new CPL gets his first job only to to find he will be replaced if he writes up snags in the maintenance release; and that unless he takes off overweight occasionally, his job will disappear; and that duty hours are for guidance only and not applicable in the real charter world; that the award rate is only for Qantas pilots.
Is it any wonder after a few months that some will speak out in derogatory terms of their personal experiences in GA? And if, as you say, some are not suitable for much of the work because of their attitude - then is that because they jack up on flying poorly maintained aircraft and do not want to risk their lives and the lives of their passengers?
As one who has flown extensively in the RAAF, in CASA, in GA, and in airlines, let me say that for every good GA operator there are another ten that are very suss.
Just ask any airline pilot if he would be happy to return to GA as a matter of choice if he lost his airline job. Few would be perfectly happy to do so. Why? Because they know it would be back to a life of cutting corners, shonky operators, and of course lousy pay for hard work done. It is an unfortunate fact of life that much of GA in Australia stinks.