Money
Yo...
Money. Yep, pilots want it, management wants it, shareholders want it..
And whoever has the power gets the money.
The government's position (justified by the best economic theory available) is that anything that prevents wage increases is good as that prevents inflation, whether it be pilot's wages or plumber's wages. So, there is little scope for writing to your MP about the issue, although try it and see what sort of concise reply you get.
Should companies be concerned about pilot turnover and pilot shortages ? Of course - the more of both the better, folks !
Turnover allows the pilot's next company to offer him/her a B scale or similar package; lack of turnover prevents this opportunity plus creates a more cohesive pilot group, and you don't want those outcomes as that would prevent the lowering of the benchmark for the entire "industry".
Shortages are what appear in a market at A PRICE, as someone pointed out, but the low number of purchasers allows the perception of a shortage at ANY price. The fix is importing labour, increasing supply, and clearing the market at a lower, lower price !
So there ya go; 457 visas - good for the industry, good for the shareholders, and good for Australia. So, back to the first paragraph; who has the power ? And who's going to get the money ? And who does it (the plumbing trade, I mean) because the just love it ?
Me, cynical ?? Never !
xx The Zone.