Do not believe what the Pollies tell you

[j.sabourn]

Richard when we moved to Perth permanently in 1991 the population was around the million mark. Today is just over 2 million for Perth. Is today just one big building site with most sites around 400 square metres, as against the quarter acre blocks of earlier years. Is a developers Shangri La. The tower block apartments like the UK are the future slums just the same as other countries The false premise that people want smaller blocks will be revealed at some future time as a complete sham in most cases apart from retirement villages. With the smaller blocks we did not get smaller prices, I wonder why? JWS

[Richard Quartermaine]

John I see aerial shots on the morning TV helicopter traffic reports where a great clump of newly built bungalows or houses with eves almost touching each other are surrounded by empty land. Those earlier built homes with a great back yard for kids, pets and gardeners are encouraged by councils to split their blocks and build. I'm sure most people do not want smaller blocks it is just that the larger blocks are scarce, attract a higher figure and so are out-priced. The old adage that electorate get the leaders they deserve but that means nothing when the pack is full of jokers. Trouble is with three tiers of government and a senile senate, what better chance than Buckly's have we got? Richard

[Rodney Mills]

Richard,

As I've said previously I made thirteen six month visits to Oz in twelve years, from 1985-1987. Coming through immigration one time the officer said to us something like "You spend a lot of time here how come you don't stay permanently."

Well we did sort of think about it and so did look into it. The only way we could get a permanent entry visa was if we were willing to bring in an amount of money to invest in a business, which had a starting number that increased along with the increasing age of the immigrant: a sliding scale. It was about A$600.000. for us. We had no desire to go back to work, so that was a game changer for any consideration on our part, plus evidence of medical insurance etc..

There would be no social benefits for five years assuming contributions had been paid into the system. Can't remember the rules for state pension qualifications.

The days of ten pound Poms are long gone. I would assume back in those days it was much like what it is in the US. If you are lazy or a sponger you packed it in and went back to the old country. If you could adjust to change were willing to work hard you could have a better life for yourself and very good life for your children.

So what changed? For me it's a puzzle, as the US was built on "your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to be free," They came, they moved out of the cities into the heartland and built, towns, states and a country.

I know habitual Australia has a relatively narrow band of habitual land and not even around all the country, and palatable water is either a problem or non-existent, but in this day of desalination plants, solar panels etc, surely new cities along with say businesses built around I.T. or computers (not car factories that would require massive outlays for rail or road transportation for finished product). Attract top computer exports from other countries, investor immigrants to operate shops, gas stations etc.,. Other services would follow, construction for houses, banks and so on, a high tech new sort of Darwin. Basically that is what happened on a primitive scale in the US. Just a thought of the top of my head. I'd be interested in your comments.

Regards, Rodney

[happy daze john in oz]

Political will is what is missing here in Oz at the moment.
Melbourne, like Sydney, Perth, and Brisbane is building apartment blocks sky high, gone the quarter acre to be replaced by the 420 meter block.
There is talk now of communial gardens, that is a block of six houses sharing one back yard, 'beam me up scotty they are all bloody mad down here'

Yes we are a very dry country, but we have flooding rains at times but no effort s put into any attempt to harvest it.
We could have green lush pastures with the political will, but sadly no.
Now there is talk of cutting immigration, that will solve very little, grow or die is the only way.

With seven states and territories all with their own agenda and a feral gov that never follows one on one, we have Buckly's of ever getting it right.
The Libs are willing to do some, but then when they are out of office Labor is fearful of doing anything positive for fear the Greens will not support them.

As to climate, the southern ice shelf off the southern most tip of NZ is wider, deeper and bigger than ever recorded.
Evidence shows that about 1 mil years ago Ireland was a tropical island, so what goes round comes round.

[Richard Quartermaine]

Rodney,
Thank you for your views that are without question what we should try to achieve. Unfortunately, our current political climate and structure does not offer much hope of such achievement in the medium term. During the period over which you were visiting Australia we were still benefiting from the post war migration from the north western hemisphere. These people came for a better life, were assimilated and made great efforts and sacrifices to achieve that status.

In the early 1970s the wealthy Labor Prime Minister, Gough Whitlam introduced a welfare system that created an entitlement culture that, unlike the US, has kept the bludgers and spongers, carpet baggers and those who are identifying themselves as refugees who were attracted to this largess, sucking a large amount of air from our economy. The resultant situation is that the left and conservatives are in a yoyo situation where the former keeps spending indiscriminately to encourage the welfare votes and as the necessity for more taxes, then the taxpayers get fed up and vote in the conservatives. They of course are hamstrung because if they also fiddle with the welfare to get the country out of the mire......... Unfortunately it is only rarely that a strong, wise and capable person gets elected and for a while there is common sense.

The future you envisage is something I would like to pass on to my descendants here in Australia. I am also cognisant to the fact that our now most prolific population mix is to some extent culturally tied to our near neighbours. We are also in that part of the world where expansion from our north exposes room for thought.

They are indeed my thoughts Rodney and whilst I have made my bed and will lie in it I am also happy that my son lives in your great land .

Kindest regards, Richard

[happy daze john in oz]

Another problem we have, but not exclusive to Oz, is the number of migrants who come from countries where there is no Social assistance of nay kind.
They have landed in heaven and in many cases will milk it for all they can.
Many pay very little into the system but take a lot out.

Medicare is a great concept, but like the Superannuation scheme introduced by Labor is poorly devised.

In 1996 I read a report which came from an audit commissioned By Keating.
Medicare should have been increased by some 0.25% every six months to the level of 6%.
Then all medical needs including the NDIS could have been funded.

[j.sabourn]

John I was 54 years of age when I emigrated here and had restrictions placed on entitlements. Had to have a sponsor which was family members. Could not claim Medicare or any other allowances for a fixed term of years , had no tax free allowances as such. Yet I still found Australia had that air of freedom from officialdom that the UK and Europe seem blighted with. However saying that, have seen various governments in power here and all they seem to want to do is follow the leaders of other countries in their choice of ways. Other countries is not the way to go. Australia is a big boy now apart from being a very rich country with all its minerals and farming. Should be a world leader and not holding up other countries as examples. The usual culprits as I see it is those who hold the elected power not having the talent to put it to good use. Too much integration of other people with different standards of living expectancy is one of the many causes also. Listening to the minority groups apart from getting them a few more votes is just putting the country on a steeper slope into the bowels of perpetual bankruptcy. JWS.

[John Pruden]

john in history Australia was wanting people to live in that great country inviting people from all over but then they lived by the laws of Australia ? now as soon as people are invited to a country they want to take it over it shows how times have changed. we here have to take people in we are ordered by Europe we are swimming with both hands and feet tied i am not against people who want to make some kind of better life but then they get a political stance and anything said against it you are classed as racist and until a radical change in laws in this country the british will be extinct within a couple of generations but as said we are racist if saying anything we are in a no win world? just my view.. jp

[happy daze john in oz]

Latest today, the gov now intends to toughen up on the English language bit of the process.
Too many do not bother to learn enough to get by, they live in communities where many still speak the language of the countries they come from.
Getting into Oz is getting harder and for good reasons.
All who wish to work, unless they have a skill in total demand, must be sponsored, have sufficient funds to cover medical costs for the first two years and a few other bits.
A deposit, refundable, must also be lodged with the sponsor and that is to ensure they do have sufficient funds on arrival.
My brother nad his family came out in 2005, I had to sponsor them, and you are only allowed one sponsorship, and provide a $5,000 surety for them.

[David Williams]

Hi Captain Kong.
Who the hell do we believe in ?.
Dave Williams