As for the Hughes system in NZ, it had alot of teething problems, but having seen and played on both systems in the last couple of years, I believe that for outside of radar coverage that the Hughes system, at the moment, is a better piece of kit.
Rumour has it that Qantas wants NZ to take over the Australian Pacific Airspace sector(s), because they can deliver UPRs now not by late 2010 (at the earliest).
I hear that managers at ASA 'can't believe how unpatriotic Qantas is' for even suggesting such a thing.; like they care, under delivering and over promising; that's ASA style.
Having observed the NZ system in action; if that's what we could have had here, then we made a massive mistake taking that french crap 'off the shelf'. I know which is better; and it isn't on this side of the Tasman.