Australia - some interesting Stats??

Here we go, its a mixed bag.....

Old Age Pension - Australia, numero 3 for best retirement income system
Australia's retirement scheme ranked among world's best

In Mercer's Melbourne Global Pension Index, only the retirement income systems of Denmark and the Netherlands rank ahead of Australia's.

Health System - numero 2 (according to this ABC article)
Study ranks Australian healthcare system among world's best

Quality of Education- according to UN - not too good
I guess we slipped just a little here.
UN agency ranks Australia 39 out of 41 countries for quality education

Income Tax System - not too good
No Cookies | Daily Telegraph
We already live in one of the highest-taxed nations in the world. Our top tax rate — paid by people earning more than $180,000 a year — is 45 per cent, but then added to that is the 2 per cent Medicare Levy and the 2 per cent temporary deficit levy that ends in July, but not if Labor and other parties get their way.

Social Security System - World Class?
Why having the best social welfare system in the world matters to Australia
Put simply, a dollar spent in the Australian social security system does more to reduce inequality than a dollar spent in any other welfare system in the world.
the largest expenditure isn’t on unemployment payments (which are low by international standards) or on the disability pension (which is now much harder to access than it was a decade ago). The biggest single income support payment – indeed, the biggest single government program – is the aged pension.

Most Tourist Friendly Countries - numero 7
Which are the most tourist-friendly countries?
according to our latest index.


The World's Healthiest People - numero 5..... this is very surprising. I though we were all heading for obesity.
Italy’s Struggling Economy Has World’s Healthiest People




MTR

 

It makes sense that if you are in the top few for Pension, Health and Welfare that your tax is going to be high. I think taxpayers sometimes forget that we have an amazing public health system due to how much tax we pay.

The only anomaly is education probably, we are paying enough tax to ensure education is of a high standard but we just don't seem to get the results. This is possibly a mindset thing where most Aussie parents are happy for their kids to be average rather than push them flat out to be well above average.

 

" The report found that 16 per cent of Australian children below the age of 15 lacked secure access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food."
Really? I find it very difficult to believe, how's that even possible?

 

Its also interesting to look at why US health system is a mess.
Their government is not involved in negotiating drug costs and doctors fear being sued .....numerous, expensive unnecessary tests are conducted to cover medical professional's arse.
We are very lucky in Australia.

 

Strive to be mediocre.

Seriously though, If you're capable of achieving 80% without trying, then you only need to work on the other 20%.

 

I have said it many times, the public school system needs to change, if you cant sack a bad teacher ever........ then we have no hope.

 

In some countries overseas, they treat teachers up there with other professionals. In saying that, some of the teachers in Asia were receiving kickbacks or demanding kickbacks from parents in order to receive preferential treatments for their children, as marks are everything.

 

Please excuse my ignorance here. I am not really share-market savvy.
If Australian Superannuation funds are substantially rising in value due to the 9.5% compulsory contribution, and this money is predominantly invested in Australian Shares, does this mean those shares will go up in price just because the fund managers have to buy shares? Or if there is a new float, once again because fund managers have to buy something, they buy regardless of value.

 

• drug abuse (parents)
• alcohol abuse (parents)
• mental illness (themselves or parents)
• child abuse (parents)
• extreme poverty
• neglect
• homeless

There would be many many more reasons, but that's all I can think of off the top of my head.

 

Yes... exactly, that reminds me.... did anyone watch Struggle Street, eye opener... this time focus in Melb and Brisbane.

.... all of the above which can lead to incarceration which opens another can of worms.

These kids have no chance, they are on a treadmill to nowhere

 

Hi. I can't answer your question but I can provide some information.

My super is with a provider and according to my plan, 16% of my funds are invested in Australian Shares. Of course some plans will have more and some less. Just saying that you can't assume all of the super money is invested in Australian Shares.

Direct share ownership in Australia is falling. For example, in 2004, 44% of Australians directly owned shares but by 2014, that number had dropped to 33%. This could relate to more Australian's having super (which invests in shares) or because of the GFC or both.

The point of this is that as the volume of super money enters the share market, some private funds exit the market, which may cause it not to unbalance. I don't know.

All I know is that a lot of money from super funds has ended up in Australian shares but there doesn't appear to be a corresponding boom in share prices. That said, I have been told the Accumulation Index is looking good, but I don't know what that is.

 

I know you say that in jest Scott but is almost true.

I know with my kids I would rather them be average at school and spend time playing sport, camping, fishing, motorbike riding or skiing rather than just be studying all the time.

There is nothing wrong with average!

 

I watched Struggle Street last week, especially after our discussions about poverty in Australia or the perceived lack of poverty. I had not seen last year's season.

To be honest, I cried my eyes out. I thought I was a heartless *****, but there you go.

 

OK, I felt sad for the children. However, the attitude of the adults (NZ family) was just wrong. The husband in particular, blaming drugs, not himself, not taking responsibility for his actions. Also entitlement attitude??

I am not heartless, but if you want change in your life you have TO OWN IT

 

Now here are some interesting stats......ordinary....

Are you an ordinary Australian??? Do you fit this mould

If you match the description below, then you are the statistically “ordinary” Australian, according to at least one set of measures:

• You speak only English at home
• You were born in Australia
• Your parents were born in Australia
• You’re Christian
• Your family has English ancestry
• You’re in a registered marriage
• You live with your spouse and two children
• Your home is a free-standing, three-bedroom house, which you own with a mortgage
• You have two cars
• Your family income is $2,000–$2,999 a week (or $104,000–$129,999 a year)

These were the most common answers (known in statistics as the “mode”) to key questions in the 2016 census.

 

I work in a government high school in an affluent suburb, however our affluence masks a number of single parent families, children in foster care and children living with their grandparents. There is always trauma from being torn away from one's family home and natural parents.

Dont get me wrong - the vast majority of students at my school are polite, hard-working students whom I would gladly employ any day of the week if I require any employees. But too often I see the other side - the families where there is alcohol and drug abuse, mental health issues and other traumas. Alongside the whole-school focus on Literacy and Numeracy, we make it a priority to offer these students a loving stable environment above all else. For some students we may focus on Life Skills, Social Skills and Employability Skills rather than Robotics, Dance and Analysing Shakespeare. For some of our students, their personal wellbeing is a far greater priority than any academic achievement or Tertiary Entrance number.

 

I didnt like the NZ couple either. But I lost it with regards to the man who is on a disabiity pension (like my son) and the Indigenous lady whose children died.

I really dont expect those on PC who have never experienced poverty or mental health issues to understand.