I try not to, but I have no first hand knowledge of how the progressive tax structure shakes out for other staff. Maybe over the 32,000 (ish) staff the effect is less dramatic, but the discussion was focusing on pilot costs.
Whats true however is that Australian wages generally do mirror the high cost of living here, expressed as a total of all factors including taxes.
I have to sign off now and go do my clothing/eyeglasses/tool shopping on this layover because its all so much cheaper than at home.
D18S