Dick,
You seem to have collected a following of childish posters who seem to hijack all your threads, many of them don't seem to work in the industry. You make a valid point; doing business in Australia is unjustifiably expensive and difficult. Most of that expense and difficulty is due to over-regulation. We seem to be moving towards a free-market economy without the relaxation of market constraints, putting at us at a distinct disadvantage.
I currently work mainly overseas as a pilot, with a little bit of casual work in Australia. I'm in a position where I could invest money into a business here and work locally but I just don't see the value in it. Already slim margins are being eaten away by ever-increasing compliance costs and any prospect of upgrading equipment or market diversification brings with it crippling amounts of cost and additional regulatory requirements. Couple these factors with the glacial pace at which our authorities, including CASA, do business and you realize you are better off taking your cash overseas.
Thanks for the thread Dick, I think it is extremely relevant.