Is Australia still the lucky country or are we being screwed????

[commodorenut]

At least we don't have to shovel snow for 4 months of the year.....

[jennie285]

At least we don't have to shovel snow for 4 months of the year.....

Or drive our cars on roads which have been sprayed with salt each night to stop it freezing...rust rust rust....

I am a 10 pound pom, one of the last, arriving in 72, and I love Australia, and I embrace the culture. I do however get annoyed with unemployment benefits being given to those who don't want to work not can't find work...Our daughter finished Uni, and went to centre link to see if she could extend her payments (she is an independent as worked during her uni to get the $18000 in 18months) which ended when she finished her course. They told her she had to apply for jobs, even though she only needed some money until she begins her job in January. So who would want to employ someone for only 5 weeks, and what would she do if she didn't have us to help her, she would need bond money for a flat, money for rego for her car to get herself up to Toowoomba etc. Surely as she will be paying large taxes once she begins work and won't be a burden on society, they could have carried on with her $150/week payment until she started work full time...Oh well just makes me be more vigilant about claiming every cent I can back off the government when I do my taxes....

Apart from that we had our children in the 80's there were no baby bonus's, no child care that was affordable, we took in a border for a while to help with finances, I looked after children after school for working parents, interest rates were 13.5%. the kids had only toys they needed, we didn't have new cars then, and didn't have holidays apart from camping between xmas and new year... Rodney worked long 13 hour days, and we gradually got the house paid off..borrowed money and built flats, borrowed more money bought a commercial premises. When it was time for our kids to go to Uni, we didn't qualify for any handouts from the government, even though there is no choice for country kids as they have to move to cities to go to University. Rodney and I both think that by the time all these children who have been born under the baby bonus will probably end up having there Uni paid for, and/or their accommodation. The kids also have massive HECs debts, but that is accepted, as they will earn good incomes so should be able to pay this off in 10 years....

I still think Australia is a great place and after seeing what goes on in third world countries am pleased we can keep our families safe...and give them what they need, now the kids have finished their studies, the financial burden has eased, which has allowed us to spend money on what we want now...and thanks to some good business decisions by Rodney we are comfortable, and enjoy life....

[mckackie]

all I know is, every time we have labor governments, state or federal, we end up with run down infrastructure, more factories closing, bigger debt, more token touchy-feely laws and gestures clouding the real issues, and the only ones who seem to be making money being the govt ministers and union bosses. we can thank paul keating and john button for the 'rationalisation" of the australian car industry for a start. every time they say free trade, it means more farms and mining leases sold to foreign governments, and more cheap crap dumped on our markets.

[Blocker]

Things to look forward to in the USA. Poor Steve, just going out to get some drinks for the boys!

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[Robbo]

No country or government in the world is perfect. However, even with the flaw's this great country has, I would not want to live anywhere else.

[wbute]

The problem in Australia is any politicians who actually get up and speak their mind and not follow party lines, is branded a red neck fool by the media. So the end result is we end up with career politicians with no real world experience who are only in the job to secure their own future, not represent the constituents future.
The quality potential politicians never go into politics, they stick to their chosen careers.
Perhaps there needs to be a rule that to become a politician you need to have a minimum of 15 years of non political related work experience before getting a run at the job?
Makes sense to me.

[commodorenut]

Perhaps there needs to be a rule that to become a politician you need to have a minimum of 15 years of non political related work experience before getting a run at the job?
Makes sense to me.

Totally agree.
I used to live in a very strong labor seat. Didn't matter how many of the locals didn't vote for them, the local labor guy always got in.
A few years back, a local cop (fairly high ranking, but still in touch with reality) retired young from the Police, and joined the Libs. Next election, with him as the candidate, they stormed home. The people voted with common sense.

During the 2007 election, I had to absentee vote in a lower-class area. At the gate we had the usual tree huggers (the irony of them handing out so much paper that's instantly scrapped...) and the regular major party devotees - one thing I noticed was how many young people the labor party had on hand - we had a couple of young people jam labor "how to vote" papers at us - first time I've ever had anyone under 60 doing that!
Whilst waiting in line to get our names checked off, a couple of young girls - who didn't even look 18 - were begging us to "vote for Rudd 'cos he's gunna give the single muvvers more money." My reply to that was "you've just made sure I never vote for him."

Think of the viral marketing they can do - plant the seed with one dole bludging idiot, who then tells all his mates (after all, they all share their latest scams) and within days, everyone in their government housing neighbourhood thinks they'd better vote for XYZ because they'll be better off. That landslide victory comes one step closer, and they never had to spend a cent on advertising.

[mckackie]

The ALP are already savvy to that.....not to mention how the unions, greens and ALP left have made Liberal bashing(The party who dares to disagee with them) a national sport