[LINK] Cost Of Living

[stephen at melbpc.org.au]

Gentlemen, thanks for this discussion .. 

> I have no disagreement with you that Australia has a high cost of
> living, but it is also a place with high wages and expensive assets. 

Yes, and lots of people don't have a high wage, or ANY wage. Lots of folk
are or soon will be, retired and living on a fixed income. Heavens I pity
them. And all of those still-working-of-necessity 70 year old Australians 
with little or no superannuation. Sure, they may have their now-expensive
house, but often that's their only nest-egg. Sell it and how do they live?

Personally and after selling my radio station I'm retired and living self
funded from 34 years of paying superannuation & also investing. But, with
recent cost-of-living figures I wonder how many, many elderly can retire?

Our current government say over and over again, their emphasis is on jobs.

So, to them, high costs of living are fine, because if people have a good 
job, living costs don't matter all that much. So, Wayne doesn't worry too
much about our cost of living. But, what about those who don't/can't work?

Rising, out-of-control, costs of living are a silent and iniquitious evil.

> Yesterday .. there was a story saying Australian oil industry workers
> are the highest paid in the world. And there are regular reports about
> how expensive our houses are, which, of course, means we are very rich
> if we were to sell them off and move to the USA or Asia ... You seem to
> be arguing that the federal government has deliberately caused this, or
> has allowed it from ineptitude.


Yes, with their simple-minded and often-repeated concentration on *JOBS*
that's exactly what I'm saying. If everything is so very expensive, then
we will all need a job and with plenty coming in yes many can have a job.

And that's fine, if you're young, fit & 100% healthy. And, everyone else?

Anyway, I think it's my last post on this topic. It's too Link-off-topic.

Appreciate even if not necessarily convinced by your points of view guys.

Cheers,
Stephen