Phoenix
There is not much more that i can add by way of advice that hasn't already been proffered by many pilots with years and years of experience in the game. What I will say is listen, you are not being abused.That would be very easy to do given the current highly charged and emotive atmosphere that we are currently experiencing within the QF Group.
I do empathise with you to a degree and you have expressed and argued your stance on this board with a certain amount of maturity which implies to me you are a reasonably imtelligent bloke. Nobody wants to stand in your way of chasing a career in aviation. But in my opinion you (and other JQ cadets) are being used as pawns by a despicable management group who after they have finished with you will toss you aside like yesterdays rubbish.
You simply cannot trust them or believe that they are interested in your career. You are being used to undermine Pilots T & C's I promise you that is the case.
There was an earlier poster who used the saying "short termitis" and you should really consider this. Do you want to be a good pilot or a factory made robot? What if you get to Jetstar and suddenly you find out that you are not cut out for the lifestyle, **** money or worse still Jetstar doesn't like you. To bad you have gone all in on your first hand, and that could hurt.
My nephew attends a private school here in Sydney in Year 11, Jetstar have been at every careers day pushing hard, much to my nephews dissapointment I have given him and his parents the same advice. Like you it is very difficult to convince him this is not the right way forward for him.
Mate I know it is a bugger of a place to be in and all I ask of you is to rather than dismiss the advice from very very experienced aviation professionals, listen, research, research some more and make a decision based on reality rather than emotion or excitement at flying a jet.
As has been said on here many times before if you really want it and are prepared to sacrifice, work hard and develop your skills as a pilot you will make it. Life wasn't meant to be easy and I know from my own experience being an airline pilot wasn't meant to be easy.