Life - Status in Australia

The status of life in Australia is high, with all Australians living with dignity despite the fact one have to work hard to achieve hight degrees of financial prosperity. The minimum salary is about A$ 14 per hour worked for the beginner, which is not enough to sustain a family but as soon as the other partner also work, the A$ 50,000 earned per year will provide the basic for a family. People with higher or qualifications in demand, can archive salaries of A$ 90,000 per year. This figure is also the average an educated and experienced couple earns per year. Even with high taxes, still at least A$ 10.000 will be left in the bank after one year. We are talking about the Australian up-middle class. For the ones not too educated or unemployed, the "Centrelink" (The government social security benefit) provides some income enough for the person stay alive. The government benefits were much better before, but in the past years progressively is not responding to the real needs of the disadvantaged people. (rents and food are going up and benefits does not reach the same index). 

The fact is that Australia allows a person to grow professionally with plenty of things still to be done or in need. The traditional work hours from 9 to 5 are getting more difficult to find (except for public employees who still have the same work load and high salaries). Australians are working an average of 45 hours per week, and it is not unusual to know someone who works 55 or even don't take weekends off. This is happening basically for the money not for the need. There are poor people in Australia, not as poor as in third world countries, and the reasons are various, including, single mothers with two or three kids, lack of professional studies, drugs or alcohol addiction and so on... Comparing with other developed countries, Australia still helps poor people to get out of the hole, but in my opinion, much more should be done, specially in more affordable vocational or technical courses, so people can get a better job.

Note: The number of poor is growing in Australia, but not the misery. There are people living on the streets, something not imaginable in the past. Some of these people lives on the streets by option, or by incapacity to move the live ahead, some others can not pay a rent with the money they receive from Centrelink.

Many Australians owns almost everything they have, the house, the car, the boat, all were purchased on credit. Australians are the leaders in the world in credit card debt. It is a compulsive materialist society were is not uncommon to see a person in deep debt spending fortunes in gifts and the very best during festivities such as Christmas gifts. The elders are not consumists as the middle age people are, but what impress me the most, is the voracity young people are consuming products and services. From the age of 16, the people start earning money from the government as soon as they keep studding. They spend most of it in the shopping centre.

Note: When completing 16, if the person keep studding he or she receives A$ 400 per month from the government. (supposed to help with the cost of the studies). Many of them, also get an casual job, which added to the government benefit, allows them to move out of home and share the rent with some friends.

There are plenty of rich people in Australia, some became rich working, but there are lots and lots of people inheriting properties and land from parents. Australia 100 years ago had plenty of land and not enough people. The land was very cheap and sometimes even free. As an example, in the city of Noosa on the Sunshine Coast, a land was acquired in 1964 for A$ 25 thousand, and today it worth A$ 12 million. In Australia this people are classified as " Rich in Assets". Just as curiosity, the prime minister of Australia earns A$ 200 thousand per year.