Dick,
I will say again – my first aim is to get our airlines complying with the safety requirements that exist in other leading aviation countries. When we are up to speed on these safety requirements in Australia, I will certainly look at pushing for more onerous requirements for transponders. However I will not do this if it means that the GA industry is further damaged. That is a pretty simple and straightforward explanation. Do you understand it?
I'll give you a straight answer straight up: YES. Your logic totally escapes me, but yes, I understand your point of view. Thank you very much. At last, you have answered the question that has been asked many times on this thread over days and days. Do us all a favour next time and just answer as soon as you are asked please!
Of course, I will agree with you when, together with all the safety requirements that these other countries have, we also have their infrastructure (eg radar coverage) which serves to make their systems safer than the 1950s "eyeballs out" system you had wished upon us but which was fortunately knocked on the head by realists. Let's have the whole kit and caboodle, not this "pick this bit" and "add this bit" nonsense that you have been pushing for.