Gordon,
Just do me a favour and post your answers to Dark Knights list of vary basic questions.
I know this a highly emotion charged topic, but we can not manipulate the safety versus T&C's as some here are trying to do. I know the only reason JQ are pursuing this mantra is because it is cheaper for them. Read my last post; it is the only thing the airlines have fiscal control over. However, to falsely(IMHO) pitch the Cadet/Safety issue against the protection of T&Cs is very irresponsible. At the end of the day, what we do is not the science of rockets, and putting a 200-300hr cadet at the pointy end along side an experienced Captain IS NOT DANGEROUS. It happens in nearly every other region around the world. Oz is very, very sheltered.
FWIW, many(not all) of the cadets that I have trained or checked have been very sharp. Just an observation from one who has trained/checked cadets first hand for quite a few years, unlike a lot of the posters here.