Just doing a little research and want to know what our overseas members know or read about Australian politics , any comments good or bad.

The main thing reported (and thus known about) in the UK is the intolerance to immigrants and migrants, especially those who don't speak English.

This is something that most Brits admire although the government here may try to portray a different view.

just a lil free advice... red head = bad

Would also like your views on our economy

Aussies please stay out of this.

Thanks

Again from a layman Brit perspective, it has a strong and growing economy with a need for skilled labour. Good living standards, low population. I'm guessing low unemployment but think I read that Aboriginal unemployment is massive, but don't know what % of the population they consist.

Lots of cheap natural resource (eg. no one cares about vast open cast coal mines because they impact few people) and that is why I remember we used to import Australian coal !! even when we were actively mining it 20 years ago.

I had heard that income had risen and drug trafic was way up do to a sharp rise in consumtion.
The news reported that the world economy meltdown had done little to effect Australia.
Not much is reported in the press about social strife, our news is much more interested in gay marraige and women's anti propogation technicques.
Can a fox only turn right in Australia?

Read this earlier and asked my folks, they spend 6 months a year out there for the past 8 years as they had popped over for lunch.

They are ultimately are pissed off the government let all these people in who have no jobs immigrants etc but they cannot obtain residency without having to pay for it, they are both retired and have the cash but not overly impressed by this, they have just sold they owned in Australind, they would contribute to society unlike some who they let in.

Then it was the usual all poiliticians are crap, got their own agenda blah blah.

Didnt you get a woman prime minister and your politics then got boring?

I preferred it in the old days when you had that fella who either got eaten by a shark or did a Reggie Perrin. Or the one that used to swear at the opposition in parliment.

Also Les Patterson was your cultural attache, many here thought this was just a character created by Barry Humphreys and a racist slur on the worst of Australian personality traits. However, he then went on to father Casey Stoner (this is irrefutable as Stoner is a dead ringer both in looks and attitude) so we know he was real now.

Australian politics is in the doldrums as you are missing an obvious trick

Follow California's example and elect an actor as your leader - that pissed up racist Mel Gibson would be interesting.
Follow South Africa's example and elect a criminal as your leader - Chopper Reed would get my vote
Or just do what every child of the 70's in the rest of the world want and elect Rolf Harris.

Rolf Harris has turned full Pom and would not qualify for a political career.

I'd probably vote for Chopper reid too. Couldnt be worse than the ranga.

Its interesting hearing other peoples perceptions of the place.

Lived on and off here since 1994 and first spend 6 months here in 1989, live here permanently now but not sure if I qualify for an opinion.
Always loved the place and his people.
Aussies however have one big negative: eg their lack of involvement (read spine) towards politics (she'll be right mate attitude) and consequently shit politicians.
pollies get away with murder here and there is no democracy, they just do what they want.
Otherwise a great place, still opportunities but due to the above explanation they are getting slimmer. Some stuff is cheap(ish) some stuff is overly expensive.

A couple of things really get to me:
the attitude towards speeding (worse than murder), other crimes are encouraged like stealing cars and breaking in to old peoples places.
mandatory super that is NOT protected by the government. Either it is mandatory and protected or neither. For me it is a total loss of money as it started too late and all my contributions evaporate in fees and there is no guarantee I will ever get a dollar out of it.

Still better than other places I lived in...