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Non commercial primary response roles?????
Do you blokes really believe that the RFDS does the medical work in the outback with no government funding?
I know that in past years they were paid for every flight by governments and insurance companies. They also got a subsidy from government to help purchase new aircraft. On top of this they got donations, bequests and income from the race meetings, gymkhana, camel racing etc and from most of the roadhouses in the outback. At least one aircraft flew around with advertising on it. And each state had their own separate RFDS operation. (N.T. was Alice springs only and was controlled from Adelaide.)
So the RFDS has a sound financial base with government contracts and income from the public. It is a commercial operation with benefits.(inccome from public donations)
It is a good operation that can afford aircraft that most other operators cannot. There is no level playing field, and no-one is playing. The government is getting cheaper services this way.
I know the RFDS provides an essential service, and I flew aircraft for the RFDS for over a decade. I also live in Central Australia and may need their services one day.
But let's stop pretending that there is a level playing field. The RFDS has definite advantages.