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#60... Used to come to Whitley bay every year and play at the Empress Ballroom. Used to stay with a friends Aunt when in W.Bay. Think put in another post. Same friend died very young, can remember carrying/dragging him over the Bridge of Sighs in Venice when there on a ship, both plastered, must have been all of 17. Married the girl across the road where I used to live, bought a small pleasure boat on Windermere, suppose couldnt keep away from the water, as she insisted he came ashore, if stayed at sea might have lived longer. JS

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Ref previous that was 60 years ago. Maybe friends Aunt was one of Brians ex"s. He could always say he shared with Jimmy Shand. Och Aye the Noo. JS

Hi John.
Very few of the top money earners in Australia pay tax, Family trusts, money shipped overseas, would you believe that last year $40 billion was sent to Switzerland, I doubt by working people. We get no tax from mining, our profits from iron ore and gas is all exported overseas. Most of the taxes are paid by people earning below $100,000. Paul Keating realized that something had to be done about the age pension so started the Superannuation scheme, which would have meant by the year 2025 most people would have been self providing, unfortunately the downturn in the economy has stuffed that up. despite what you say about the Labour Govt and in a lot of ways I agree they could have done more instead of in fighting, Australia still has a triple A rating from both the world rating agencies. There is no problems with the budget it's all a myth. We have a Lebanese treasurer and a South African finance Minister both extreme right wing, and a Prime Minister who would have been better off being a priest.
Cheers Des

Sorry Des #64 but we do have a budget emergency, all the triple A rating means is that we are a safe country to loan money to. Before the GFC Italy and Spain also had triple A, now look at them. But if you consider $30 million per day in interest paymenst Ok then sure we have no problem. But if in a few years time we do not curb spending we too will be in the same situation as many of our European neighbors. The super scheme introduced by Keating was at 3%, never enough to provide for any meaninful pension. But it is all one sided, the employer pays it all which adds to 'on costs' pushing up tjhe cost of doing business. Had he adopted, which he was advised to do, he would have used a system similar to the university one I was in. The uni paid 14% but I had to pay 7%. There are about 23 million in Oz now with less than half working and almost 50% of the population getting some form of gov hand out, that is not sustainable. It is estmated that by 2050 persons living to the age of 100 will be common, medical research has meant people can live longer. We have to chgange the way in which we look at things, the age of the me, me get handouts must end.
End of sermon for today.