Fair call from Andu, perhaps I was looking too hard for an opportunity to bite.
To elaborate on my post, the pilots don't need exceptional circumstances to get the resources to go flying. In fact, Avn's support to disaster relief will not increase available flying hours. If the fleet overflies one year because of a set of disasters, then the next year's allocation will most likely be reduced. While there are enough hours available, the govt's demands for savings from Defence are hitting the DMO, diminishing their ability to manage contingencies.
So I actually agree with you Andu, there should be more money available to allow better sustainment - more hours - on all the ADF's fleets; RW, FW, Ships, tanks, subs, you name it. I don't agree with BR71's assertion that the ADF should redefine its capability requirements down to meet the current pitiful budget.
The dirty (not so) secret about Smith's tenure is that he and his cabinet colleagues have repeatedly deferred spending billions of dollars of allocated Defence funding and then claimed budget 'savings'. Anyone with a mortgage can tell you that deferring your house repayments in order to afford the school fees is going to end in tears.