I think we have as much to be feared from the US as Russia. Expecting Oz the follow their lead with actions, sanctions and policies then first in to take our markets after.
Overzealous bureaucrats, incompetent regulators and entrenched "we know better than you" attitude from the powers that be seem to be more the problem than some sinister plot to take freedoms away. GA is just a shadow of it's former self, the ASIC is partly to blame along with privatisation of public airfields, councils milking/extorting, price of avgas, CASA's detrimental intrusion into every crevasse, every minor detail of aviation are all to blame for the demise of GA.
All these combined have made GA out of reach to the average man. To fly GA you have to now have more than a considerable income to participate. RAA seems to be resisting the forces so far....