What is actually stated is:
RON LAWFORD, VETERAN TERRITORY PILOT, DARWIN: It's a matter of economics where for some people it's cheaper to use the real aeroplane to do the instrument rating renewal, to do the recency checks, than to find a simulator which may be on the other side of the world and fly their pilots to that place to do the, the one or two hours of flying in the simulator.
I don't think that is exactly putting.....
".....a price on a pilot's life when he suggests that it is cheaper to do rating renewals and line checks in the aircraft rather than find a sim."
Appears to be a statement of fact rather than a personal opinion.