POSSIBLY CONSIDERING OZ... ?
Oct 4th 2011, 12:19 pm
#76
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Re: POSSIBLY CONSIDERING OZ... ?
One thing I will point out though is the different 'Tude of the general population re these issues... In the UK a lot of people are up in arms about it... whereas Australia the usual and more positive "She'll be right" Tude prevails... people dont even realise it happens here..
I wonder how they go in France and Scandinavia about these issues ?
I wonder how they go in France and Scandinavia about these issues ?
Oct 4th 2011, 1:08 pm
#77
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Re: POSSIBLY CONSIDERING OZ... ?
Agreed, the Daily mail.
Now I will have a 7 day self imposed ban.
I will sit in a dark room and contimplate the meaning of life.
When I return all will be well in the world.
I will then realise that you have all been talking sense and I have been mistaken all along. 7 days then!
Now I will have a 7 day self imposed ban.
I will sit in a dark room and contimplate the meaning of life.
When I return all will be well in the world.
I will then realise that you have all been talking sense and I have been mistaken all along. 7 days then!
Oct 4th 2011, 3:06 pm
#78
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Re: POSSIBLY CONSIDERING OZ... ?
I hope your kids have got good teeth in that case. We are on a combined income of circa 130K. Which means we are down the low end of where families are supposed to be totally independent of government benefits we are just on the cusp of the total cut off point, which is very frustrating. We would have spent at least 10 to15K After tax and insurance rebates on our youngest two kids teeth over the last 5 years or so. Its been a real handicap to our disposable income.
In hindsight methinks we would have been better off with either the wife or I working parttime.. we would had to have a more frugal lifestyle... no cable tv, fast internet or gaming consoles galore and would have received max tax breaks and child benefit..
Just to illustrate... we drive a 1998 ford and a 1990 holden barina on that kind of income... as we would rather have a meal out than a later model car. You cant have both down our end of the income range. We probably average 2 to 3 takeaways and 1 meal out a fortnight.
School fees at government schools are at least 5K in total per annum for our younger Two.... In fact my 3rd youngest 17YO daughter is coming back from a school trip to Thailand which cost us 4K in total. She is also a very talented musician...Paying for lessons and courses for that costs us at least 6K per year, no rebates no help... She wants/needs a 8K viola at present.... Which is justifiable as that is the level she is at...Two orchestras away from the Melbourne Symphony. Some of her contemporaries have 10k plus instruments and 50 buck per hour lessons.
I think you could well find it difficult on one wage of 100K here in Aus, compared to where you could be in the UK.
The Government handout that I missed out on that annoyed me the most this year, was the 500 dollar mature age worker bonus. Which you receive at age 55... I was something like 1,500 dollars over the limit... that 1500 dollars was purely Overtime related..
Next years and probably continuing issue, is going to be our youngest 13YO's and only sons newly developed Beau Brummel attitude to clothing... he really cracks it if he doesn't have the most with it clothes. Far more than any of my daughters did... F knows how much that'll cost us in money and arguments.
In hindsight methinks we would have been better off with either the wife or I working parttime.. we would had to have a more frugal lifestyle... no cable tv, fast internet or gaming consoles galore and would have received max tax breaks and child benefit..
Just to illustrate... we drive a 1998 ford and a 1990 holden barina on that kind of income... as we would rather have a meal out than a later model car. You cant have both down our end of the income range. We probably average 2 to 3 takeaways and 1 meal out a fortnight.
School fees at government schools are at least 5K in total per annum for our younger Two.... In fact my 3rd youngest 17YO daughter is coming back from a school trip to Thailand which cost us 4K in total. She is also a very talented musician...Paying for lessons and courses for that costs us at least 6K per year, no rebates no help... She wants/needs a 8K viola at present.... Which is justifiable as that is the level she is at...Two orchestras away from the Melbourne Symphony. Some of her contemporaries have 10k plus instruments and 50 buck per hour lessons.
I think you could well find it difficult on one wage of 100K here in Aus, compared to where you could be in the UK.
The Government handout that I missed out on that annoyed me the most this year, was the 500 dollar mature age worker bonus. Which you receive at age 55... I was something like 1,500 dollars over the limit... that 1500 dollars was purely Overtime related..
Next years and probably continuing issue, is going to be our youngest 13YO's and only sons newly developed Beau Brummel attitude to clothing... he really cracks it if he doesn't have the most with it clothes. Far more than any of my daughters did... F knows how much that'll cost us in money and arguments.
We'd also have to factor in what kind of mortgage we could have, because if interest rates are much higher than the UK (and let's assume they are because the UK's are really low atm), then we wouldn't be able to have as large a mortgage as we currently have, which would then impact on our lifestyle and happiness quota because we wouldn't want to have to downsize on the size / quality of house we currently have. That would be a large 'con' for both of us...
Oct 4th 2011, 3:09 pm
#79
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Re: POSSIBLY CONSIDERING OZ... ?
[QUOTE=Chortlepuss;9653492]I'm a skilled IT worker who is currently unemployed./QUOTE]
Do you find there isn't much market for IT workers in Australia? My husband listens to podcasts from Australian pen testing companies who are continually moaning about how they can't find anyone to fill their posts out there, but I guess each sector of IT is different, right?
Do you find there isn't much market for IT workers in Australia? My husband listens to podcasts from Australian pen testing companies who are continually moaning about how they can't find anyone to fill their posts out there, but I guess each sector of IT is different, right?
Oct 4th 2011, 3:11 pm
#80
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Re: POSSIBLY CONSIDERING OZ... ?
You want decent public services and you think that you will find them in Australia, where the govt will put Australian citizens first
. Affordable holidays? If you want to visit Bali, the Benidorm equivalent for Australians. A trip to the UK from Australia might easily cost you $10k just in airfares. Why would a move out of the UK be the right thing for your kids, away from family and friends and everything the UK offers, that Australia may not? People's superannuation funds have taken a big hit here, so your future and your children's is not guaranteed. Some people also have negative equity here, or are paying huge amounts of money to get on the housing ladder. Lots of people on here would earn >$100k, but can still struggle, and yes, you can get a proportion of your pay taxed at the maximum rate. Proper seasons? - some parts of Australia might, but lots don't. You can have VERY long drives here in Australia to get somewhere nice. It is very expensive living here compared to when you last visited. Also, life as a backpacker is VERY different to life as a mum in the suburbs
.
If your husband got a secondment at some point, give it a whirl, perhaps. Otherwise, try a move to somewhere different in the UK, perhaps - see how it feels moving away from the parents, then try to imagine being 20 hours away on a plane.
. Affordable holidays? If you want to visit Bali, the Benidorm equivalent for Australians. A trip to the UK from Australia might easily cost you $10k just in airfares. Why would a move out of the UK be the right thing for your kids, away from family and friends and everything the UK offers, that Australia may not? People's superannuation funds have taken a big hit here, so your future and your children's is not guaranteed. Some people also have negative equity here, or are paying huge amounts of money to get on the housing ladder. Lots of people on here would earn >$100k, but can still struggle, and yes, you can get a proportion of your pay taxed at the maximum rate. Proper seasons? - some parts of Australia might, but lots don't. You can have VERY long drives here in Australia to get somewhere nice. It is very expensive living here compared to when you last visited. Also, life as a backpacker is VERY different to life as a mum in the suburbs.If your husband got a secondment at some point, give it a whirl, perhaps. Otherwise, try a move to somewhere different in the UK, perhaps - see how it feels moving away from the parents, then try to imagine being 20 hours away on a plane.
Oct 4th 2011, 3:12 pm
#81
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Re: POSSIBLY CONSIDERING OZ... ?
I was being (or rather, trying to be) ironic - I thought Obama was championing the cause for a national health system like ours? (I've watched a bit of Fox news and everyone seems to hate the guy!).
Oct 4th 2011, 3:17 pm
#82
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Re: POSSIBLY CONSIDERING OZ... ?
OK...as long as you realize it's all 'private' here - Obama's plan falls well short of anything like a universal system, and he is still reviled for it.
Last edited by Sally Redux; Oct 4th 2011 at 3:19 pm.
Oct 4th 2011, 3:20 pm
#83
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Re: POSSIBLY CONSIDERING OZ... ?
The things that you don't like about the UK are present here. Interest rates in Australia are usually much higher than the UK and there are quite a few threads on BE about the high property prices. I cannot see how Australia would tick more boxes for you than the UK, and possibly less than the UK.
Oct 4th 2011, 3:21 pm
#84
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Re: POSSIBLY CONSIDERING OZ... ?
I'm not sure, but I know they disapprove of backbiting and bullying (which is why a lot of the replies to my thread were deleted).
I apologise if I'm breaking rules by duplicating my post, but as we are considering (if we DO decide to emigrate) both Australia AND Canada, my thread was relevant to both countries and I wanted to ask people from both forums the same questions.
I apologise if I'm breaking rules by duplicating my post, but as we are considering (if we DO decide to emigrate) both Australia AND Canada, my thread was relevant to both countries and I wanted to ask people from both forums the same questions.
Oct 4th 2011, 3:23 pm
#85
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Oct 4th 2011, 7:07 pm
#86
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Re: POSSIBLY CONSIDERING OZ... ?
Oct 4th 2011, 9:12 pm
#87
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Re: POSSIBLY CONSIDERING OZ... ?
Absolutely right but that doesn't fit into the agenda of someone wanting it to be a huge negative about the NHS does it ? It should make a Brit proud that the NHS will accommodate people in need. The others that 'rip off' the system are of course different.
Every example mentioned there would happen in Aus.... They would not turn away a woman in Labour here.... They would not turn away a person with a Psychotic emergency here. They would not turn away a Heart attack victim here. They would bill them afterwards as per the NHS has done in those examples.
As for the Asylum seekers... the exact same issues occur here.
The only thing I can see that's different is the phrase Health tourist hasn't been coined here yet and we dont have newspaper articles scaremongering.
How many countries do you think would turn away emergency situations and let people give birth in the street... or let people with serious mental health issues wander... The latter could be very dangerous for the community at large.
As for the Asylum seekers... the exact same issues occur here.
The only thing I can see that's different is the phrase Health tourist hasn't been coined here yet and we dont have newspaper articles scaremongering.
How many countries do you think would turn away emergency situations and let people give birth in the street... or let people with serious mental health issues wander... The latter could be very dangerous for the community at large.
Oct 4th 2011, 9:14 pm
#88
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Re: POSSIBLY CONSIDERING OZ... ?
I think it may be another example of those people that get here assuming all those terrible things he hates are behind him now in the UK only to find them all here as well. The it will be a case of lah lah lah I cant hear you 
Oct 4th 2011, 9:14 pm
#89
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Re: POSSIBLY CONSIDERING OZ... ?
Right wing politician known for her misinformed public rants about immigrants and the financial burden they place on white Australian lower middle class families.
Re moving consider:
A) what husband can earn - $100k is not a particularly good wage for a family of 5 looking for a comfortable lifestyle - about 40k Gbp especially as I think you would have to pay school fees on a 457 visa
B) transferring equity from a UK house sale in the current economic climate means taking a huge hit on the exchange rate and downsizing significantly
C) the 457 visa is temporary so you may well be heading home in 3 years anyway
D) the Daily Mail can be pretty exy
Re moving consider:
A) what husband can earn - $100k is not a particularly good wage for a family of 5 looking for a comfortable lifestyle - about 40k Gbp especially as I think you would have to pay school fees on a 457 visa
B) transferring equity from a UK house sale in the current economic climate means taking a huge hit on the exchange rate and downsizing significantly
C) the 457 visa is temporary so you may well be heading home in 3 years anyway
D) the Daily Mail can be pretty exy
Last edited by Turban Explorer; Oct 4th 2011 at 10:49 pm.
Oct 4th 2011, 9:17 pm
#90
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Re: POSSIBLY CONSIDERING OZ... ?
Somehow I think you can cross the US off your list. I've just picked up a prescription at my local pharmacy. The lady in front of me had to pay $120 for a month's supply of antihistamines for her child. Often you don't appreciate just how good life is in the UK until you've lived overseas.