As with most other things that have been twisted around on this thread, a payrise is completely different to asking for a COS that you happily signed not to have in the 1st place, pay rises are generally to keep up with the cost of living and in some cases, as recently, changes in exchange rates.
It's just another excuse to not do anything but look after your own pot of gold.
Guys on bases getting bypass pay. Or guys fighting for extensions. Or DEFO's. Or ASL. Or B scale vs. A scale. It's all the same. Some of those are the same folks who will say cadets don't deserve one iota of extra allowances.
Or think about it this way. You came to this country simply because you chose not to stick it out as an S/O on that 'great Australian airline'. Or you simply couldn't get into that 'great Australian airline' and can't stand flying for LCC's, so you bent your arse backwards so you can come here. By your own volition.
So in that respect, you think a local lad without Australian residency can get into Qantas? Or BA, LH, etc. for that matter.
Opportunities for some are much more lopsided than others.