If these pilots in Australia are A320 Type Rated, I assume you are talking about ex Ansett guys. However maybe QR is looking for guys who have worked on the aircraft recently. They can't take on captains to sit in the left seat of their aircraft straight away if they haven't flown the aircraft in over a year.
I believe EK has a problem hiring some of the Ansett guys. This may apply to QR too. I heard something about EK refusing to hire Ansett guys who were involved in some large pilot dispute with the airline some time ago. Some sort of union thing and a dispute with Ansett. Im not sure how true that is so if someone who knows could back that up with some concrete information it would be appreciated. If it is true, maybe QR are also reluctant to take on those guys. It is unfortunate, I know, but there are no unions in the Middle East and the airlines in the area must have something against pilots that have been involved in large disputes elsewhere.
Cheers
BYB