I can understand why they are taking externals at the moment over those in the Links;
Why would you make your own business (being the Link carriers) run poorly, when you could do the same to your competition by hiring from them?
Anyone who has spent anytime in the Air New Zealand Group realise that the whole operation is Air New Zealand's Train set. They will hire from anywhere they want to to suit what they need at the time.
12 months ago, Eagle was closing down so taking people from the Link airlines means that everyone in Eagle who wanted to stay within the group got the opportunity to interview to stay.
Like everything in Aviation, things have now changed.