Converting to an EASA licence takes a week. No joke, I've seen it being done. I do not believe that government should finance any private business as that is not their function. Business should thrive on their own merit. One of the lessons from Europe that Australia should take into consideration is that a pilot going straight from flight school to a jet will not cause a decrease in safety. With this, I don't understand why the entry requirements are so high even for the smallest of the operators. If you want experienced pilots, you need to let them fly, there's no way around.