I would be very cautious of confirming salaries and jumping into the gutter arguing the relativity of salaries with the Press/CEO/QF/Public.
The press can be a very fickle bed partner.
The headline will read "Qantas pilots earning 3x,4x,5x,6x...10x the average minimum salary"
No justification that you could provide will be included in the article.
The travelling public will on the most part agree that they want professional pilots up the front and will pay for it.
The tabloid reading public will on the most part agree that pilots are not worth the multiple average minimum salary and will be aghast at the excesses.
That I am afraid is human nature.
Having seen firsthand the nature of the animal in '89 I would caution the use of the press to present the facts fairly.