nev:
"I assuming here they will be Australian licensed pilots, in VH rego aircraft on Singapore work contracts?"
I think the important precursor to the statement is the word ......'initially'.........!
No doubt in my mind that the original Joyce JQ franchise-like vision
("any aircraft, anywhere with any crew"*)....will be the norm in the future.
Open skies are not necessarily safer skies especially when the regulatory system is used primarily to rationalise costs, but it will as you correctly highlighted, take a few coroner's reports before the pollies and their flunkies get the message.
AT
* quote from AJ in BNE in the early days of JQ - goes well with his other quotes at the same time regarding legacy carriers' [QF?????] 'failures' to control the unions and make pilots work for their outragous pay packets........