Living standards
 

Interested in reading folks comments on this oecd data

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/british...6442a9e6ee.png

Re: Living standards
 

-8% is only in 2 years, but it started earlier and still going. Overall should be like -30% or about that. Personally, after spending almost 10 years to get in, I don't really feel it worth the efforts. There is no way to buy a house before retirement, finding a job takes up to a year if you don't want to work for food. And there is no future prospects that things will get better, as one government enjoys high property prices and clearly says they want them growing, and another one is primarily focused on spending all future money for generations upfront on something dodgy, but definitely giving them personally well-paid director jobs after political career. Yeah, nah.

Re: Living standards
 

Hmm, I think you are broadly correct regarding %. I find the UK figure nonsensical in comparison unless it has been heavily skewed by recent public sector pay awards.
Something may happen to correct house prices. I think that Australia has a massive resource advantage over the UK and this may become more important in the future. For example the UK does not have energy, food or border security. IMO Australia does.

Re: Living standards
 

That's right, Australia does have a lot of resources, especially energy. And guess who benefits from it? Japan. Australia is generous corrupt enough to give away billions of dollars every year, and while exporting gas more than Qatar, gets almost nothing in return. As a humble citizen that managed to have a lucky year, you will pay 45% of income tax, while energy company will barely pay 1%. And the same is in every direction wherever you look. Only 5% of the most rich Aussies live well and enjoy little to no taxes, while 13% live in poverty.

Re: Living standards
 

In theory Australians can vote for a change and the resources can then be used differently. The UK has less resources, more political dogma and a much higher population density. So maybe you made the right choice.. if you moved from the UK.

Re: Living standards
 

Vote? Elections is a joke nowadays. Just before the elections both major parties secretly met to quickly sign a new law that would nearly prevent any other political force to participate in elections. That's because they noticed that people have had enough of them both and their ratings were decreasing, but now people will have even less choice. And they are not going to change free gas for Japan, tax cashback for rich property owners, and other dodgy laws hanging outside of logic. There is no hope here.

Re: Living standards
 

I find living in the UK to be cheaper than when I lived in Australia (I left Aus in 2010), we do have food and supply around 50% of our own energy (this could be more is we fracked and used the true potential of the North Sea) at the moment our border security is a joke but much better off than in Europe and the USA, most people would like off shore processing or as in Australia to “turn the boats back” but here human rights take precedence.

Re: Living standards
 

I don't agree with the 'turn back the boats' policy, but I am one voice, and no I may be a minority.

But one thing Australia does have that the UK does not is the ability to apply for a refugee visa offshore.

Re: Living standards
 

Crime rate has increased by ~30% nationwide in one year because of these guys youtubedotcom/watch?v=zEiWD-XQFmQ

And they are not indigenous aussies.
Wait, not only them. There's also youth crime frenzy, which is about any teenagers. The video above is a combo of both reasons.

Re: Living standards
 

Do you have a link for that statistic?

Google results returned youth crime in Victoria increased by 30% but that story was 12 months old

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-03-...outh/103614280

Re: Living standards
 

Here 2 days old youtudotbe/Xm4UOew-62Q?t=94
Specifically in Vic retail crime, on the 32nd second they say +89% since 2023.

Re: Living standards
 

Not going to random youtube clips.

Simple answer was then "No, I do not have a link that supports my claim that crime has increased by 30% in one year nationwide"

Re: Living standards
 

This is a typical news report on the official YouTube channel of the 9 News, not my claim. Feels like you are scared to accept the reality :confused: That explains why you don't mind keeping illegal immigrants, you refuse to know what they do, therefore they do nothing bad in your personal world.
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/british...a4719d750a.jpg

To be fair, I must say that this is not only because of the illegal immigrants. In the last 3 years the government legally brought ~1.5 million people because without them economy recession would be way worse. With them there is a bit of GDP and other money things growing. But liberals don't think in long term, unfortunately. Nobody created 1.5 million jobs for them, or built the same amount of housing. They become a burden that needs jobs and housing, which Australia desperately needed even without them. And what do the government (both parties) want to do? Keep bringing more. Slight reduction keeps overall numbers above pre-covid time. So, unemployed people, having no jobs, having no money for rent because Centrelink does not cover price growth, or even no Centrelink because they are immigrants, they will commit crimes just to get money for living as soon as their savings will be depleted. And no one plans to fix it. There is no hope.

Re: Living standards
 

I didn't say I didn't mind keeping illegal immigrants - those are your words.

Crime stats - https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/pe...latest-release

A more unbiased source perhaps.

Re: Living standards
 

Also, you said

How so?

Speaking of bias, is there any reason why would you trust Australian BS versus independents?