[LINK] Cost Of Living

[stephen at melbpc.org.au]

> Think "Quality of Life" not "Cost of Living."

Sorry gentlemen, with respect, I think this is apologist nonsense.

Long having concerns for the needy, exactly 18 months ago I posted ..

 <http://mailman.anu.edu.au/pipermail/link/2011-July/094406.html>

"Sydney and Melbourne are now the 6th and 7th most expensive cities in the
world to live, the London Economist Intelligence Unit 'biennial cost of
living survey' released on Thursday reveals. It's now cheaper to live in 
London, Vienna, Rome, Berlin and Beijing than in most Australian cities.
**This is the culmination of a remarkable rise in the cost of living in 
Australian cities over the last decade.**


Note the last sentence of this London Economist Intelligence Unit item.

So it's only over the last decade that Australia has become paradise? If
a high cost of living is nesessary for being a living paradise, how come
life was pretty good when we did NOT have such high comparative costs?? 


The Wall Street Journal article quoted yesterday said Singapore was the
richest country, GDP/per capita. And America (where geo-prices are low)
is second. Yet, Washington, the highest cost of living America city, is
65th in world cost-of-living terms. Thus America has lower living costs.

So, please stop saying a high cost of living is necessary. Otherwise,
it's ignoring the plight of our lower-income earners. And we'll never
do anything about, for eg, international price gouging, super-profits,
even government mis-management and waste. "Why bother .. Australia can 
afford it."  I do not believe many would think/agree that an expensive 
place to live must therefore by definition give a high quality of life.

Personally, I think Australia had a better, and more equitable, quality
of life a decade ago when we didn't top any world cost-of-living charts. 
 
Cheers,
Stephen