I was told by an ex-Pelair bloke that they were tendering for the NSW contract too.
I imagine the Pel Air Metro drivers made redundant were on much less money than the RFDS drivers - Rex management know how to screw 'em down
I am sure the Vic government know what they're doing - no, I can't see any issue with replacing very experienced specialised pilots with guys with much less experience. No issue there at all.