Australia needs a reality check

enjoying my morning coffee today reading the news I came across this article:

www.news.com.au...

MORE than 2.5 million Australians are now living below the poverty line, according to a major new report by the Australian Council of Social Services.

Australia's population is around 23 million, so a tad under 10% of us are living under the poverty line.

In Australia, the poverty line equates to living on less than $400 a week for a single adult or $841 for a couple with two children.

... what? I'm a single man.. You're telling me if i earn $390pw I'm living in poverty?

that's $343US or 271EU per week...

Sorry Australia.. your in for a big surprise!

Their minimum wage is about 16.87 / hour and they have not had a major recession in over 20 years (I believe), what big surprise is in store for them?

a reply to: Elton

Once China is done setting up their Iron Ore operations in Africa and minor finance/investment divisions are swallowed up by a wall-street breakdown, we will go down quick

If right now you cannot survive on $390 dollars a week and that's considered poverty.. what happens when it drops to $100 or $150?

We're like a little kid with pocket money spending it all week in week out and complaining because we dont have the latest iphone

a reply to: Agit8dChop

Ohhh, the standard of living may drop. I see what you are saying now.

a reply to: Elton

jobs, standard of living..
i dont know if your in Australia but our average house prices have been around $450-500,000.

We're headed for the same situation the US headed for, massive mortgages on houses that are worth half that.

When people cannot get jobs and the income drops... the idea of $400 poverty line will be a dream!

a reply to: Agit8dChop

yes, notice how they are now demonising the poor, anyone who claims the dole or is on a pension, particularly a disability pension.

Why do the powerful blame those at the bottom for nations economic problems? is it because its NWO policy to transfer the welfare system away from individuals to the corporate sector or is it just hatred on the part of the politicians for those at the bottom of the socio economic order? Do those at the top see those of us at the bottom as nothing more than rubbish, unworthy of financial assurance that may be expected in an affluent society?

Note that these same people will not talk about corporate welfare, no figures on how much corporate welfare is paid out each year are published. We in Western Australia are giving the Murdock family a $3, 000, 000, 000 gift by building a football stadium on their land free of charge. If that is not corporate welfare what is?

I suggest that we push for extension of the GST to share trades which will raise billions of tax$ and force the rich and the corporations to pay tax. They will not be able to avoid it. We as wage earners cannot avoid tax why should they be able to?

a reply to: Agit8dChop

The key word is under .

Poor is a relative term. these 'poor' rates are determined to be just under the rate of the single pension.

What other people from other countries need to understand is that the cost of living in Australia is very high.

If after paying rent, basic food and utilities, you have nothing left then you could say your are poor.

On the other hand, a poor Australian has food, a poor person in Bangladesh does not.

It is all relative

P

a reply to: pheonix358

I guess a way of illustrating the way in which poverty line is defined is to go to how the living away from home allowance is determined by the ATO . LAHA .They take into consideration not only the cost of accommodation between different cities but also the cost of a restaurant meal and the bottle of wine that goes with it . Who goes to restaurants when working away . The same sort of logic is applied to the poverty line.Although on would suspect that the number would vary from the social services ppl to that of the small busines ppl.just saying

a reply to: Agit8dChop

I was curious how they picked that figure, their method is to take the median household income which appears to be $43,100 pa, or $828 a week and halve it.

The UK apparently use 60% instead of 50%.

You cannot compare it too easily, when I was offered a job in Australia its was equal to me earning $45k per annum in the uk - living up north, that was a bloody good wage and more than two of my friends ( a couple with kids ) who were nurses put together.

When I got here I told the wife she wouldnt have to work on that money. Well now I earn twice that and she only just doesnt have to work.

Its an expensive place to live, yes wages are good comparitively, minimum wage is good, but tax has been and is generally higher than other countries and food and beer is expensive. People also have a very poor understanding of what stuff is worth, hence you cant even pick up a second hand trailer for less than $2000, its amazing how many people here would rather see a boat or trailer rot to scrap than sell it for less than what they think its worth!

But anyway, the sun is shining and its a bloody great place!!

Love you Australia!

a reply to: AlphaHawk

Depends on who you are im thinking.Employer or social aid agency . I am a little surpised the medium is so low with so many dual income families .

.. what? I'm a single man.. You're telling me if i earn $390pw I'm living in poverty? that's $343US or 271EU per week... Sorry Australia.. your in for a big surprise!

I'll throw down the gauntlet for you Agit8Dchop, not that any of us here will see the proof. but i'm calling you out on this. I want to see you survive on $390- a week.all inclusive.

originally posted by: Agit8dChop
a reply to: Elton

jobs, standard of living..
i dont know if your in Australia but our average house prices have been around $450-500,000.

We're headed for the same situation the US headed for, massive mortgages on houses that are worth half that.

When people cannot get jobs and the income drops... the idea of $400 poverty line will be a dream!

You have hit the nail on the head with this. Governments, banks and real estate spruikers have been forcing up the price of houses for years.

a reply to: PLAYERONE01

Most rentals per week are more than that.

As others have said, we have such a high cost of living, $400 doesn't go very far, sadly.

a reply to: PLAYERONE01

I want to see you survive on $390- a week.all inclusive.

All of the married pensioners do it 24/7.

Bit hard to argue that one.

P

a reply to: AlphaHawk
I'ts not just the rent but utilities as well such as power bills, i saw this floating around the net:
Families switch off as power bills go up and up
www.qt.com.au...

Pensioners and families relying on welfare are being swept up by the latest wave of price rises, which will add another $72 to the average power bill. More than 500 households across the state have had their electricity cut off each week for not paying power bills. The average household can expect a price increase of 5.1% or $72 in their latest power bills under regulated electricity prices set by the Queensland Competition Authority (QCA) which came into effect in July The cost of the Solar Bonus Scheme will also double in 2014-15, adding another $54 to the typical residential bill.

originally posted by: pheonix358
a reply to: PLAYERONE01

I want to see you survive on $390- a week.all inclusive.

All of the married pensioners do it 24/7.

Bit hard to argue that one.

P

I think you maybe out of touch mate:
AUSSIE pensioners struggling to make ends meet are selling their prescription medication to junkies and drug dealers, with some painkillers fetching up to $4000 a box.

www.couriermail.com.au... 9cb

Queensland doctors have warned that dealers are also targeting vulnerable seniors, some who survive off a $766 fortnightly pension, and have been approaching them outside pharmacies, the Courier-Mail reports.

a reply to: PLAYERONE01

$4000 a box, bloody hell mate! That would pay a few bills.

I don't believe the MSM. They make up stories to sell papers.

P

originally posted by: PLAYERONE01

.. what? I'm a single man.. You're telling me if i earn $390pw I'm living in poverty? that's $343US or 271EU per week... Sorry Australia.. your in for a big surprise!

I'll throw down the gauntlet for you Agit8Dchop, not that any of us here will see the proof. but i'm calling you out on this. I want to see you survive on $390- a week.all inclusive.

welcome to my life......i used to work for myself making on average $2000 a week,since my son was taken into foster care i had to give up my business and move 800ks away,i sold everything and moved...got him out and now i am on the single parent pension and i get $1150 a fortnight...out of that i rented a house for $400 a week inc my bills,i got a flatmate in and he pays half the rent so after rent i have $750 a fortnight left for food and running my car...i can tell you it is tough.....

it will get better as my GF id moving up here next month and i will run ads and build up my business here and i will be fine,but i can tell you that the last 10 months have been eye opening to say the least