ratpoison - at 150k for a Jet* Captain, your right, as a Captain in Asia I only get just over 3 times that amount not 4 times! That however doesn't include bonuses which this year should be about 1 month to 6 weeks.
Point being that time and time again there are attempts to point out that Australian salaries are unsustainable, particularly when compared to Asian counterparts and that is just plain incorrect.
Now maybe if you're looking at say Mandala or Air Asia or somesuch but not 'proper' airlines.
In defence of this Buchanan chap I don't think he was saying you were blue collar workers, he was trying to show how 'high' your salaries are.
On a global basis they just are not. They are woeful.