Its not like there is a shortage of the population that is affecting this decision. It is purely a bottom line decision by the airline boards across OZ.
In response to
just because we have less crew on board that does not mean we are less safer then if we had more. I have found that when we do have extra crew they are just in the way.
Just because you are used to working with 3 crew doesnt mean that it is the right thing to be doing. The media and general population will be the first to cry if something goes wrong and an extra door at the front could have gotten the other half of the pax off.