Paul, I fully agree with your humanitarian sentiment, but I think you can also analyse how the foreign owners are likely to analyse their options:
Step 1: Realise that their investment has a liquidity shortage - it needs a cash injection. Banks decline to loan more.
Step 2: Ask Australian government for assistance mentioning what great service they give to rural areas and what a great employer they are.
Step 3: Blackmail Australian government. "Give us $$$$'s or we will be forced to sack everyone and we will not be able to pay our creditors or repay our preferred creditors (the banks). Banks lobby politicians on cue. Professional lobby industry springs into action. Cash strapped company can pay lobbyists!,, but not employees!
Step 4: Assuming government stands strong; they realise their blackmail is not working. Crunch time; they now have two options:
- support their investment and inject more cash, or
- write off their investment.
They are simple commercial decisions.
The commercial reality is that most businesses will attempt to get welfare from the government if they think they might be able to. In fact, the Corporations Code requires directors to act in the best interests of their shareholders.