Tuesday 30 August 2011

The Australian Dream

It used to mean that everyone aspired to home ownership of a detached dwelling in the suburban fringe. In the 90s various factors reduced it to maybe a semi-detached or a flat. In the 21st Century the meaning of the word dream has switched from aspiration to dim hope.

This means in practice that 50% of the current generation of new entrants to the workforce will never own a home. They will be tenants, for life.

In Queensland, various reforms to the rental environment coupled with a sort of institutionalized land-lord sneer mean that leases are short, 6 or 12 months and are often not renewed (churning tenants lets them raise rent more than 5% or so a year that is considered reasonable on a renewal). Additionally tenants live under rules that are more like those that apply to guests in hotels or boarding houses. No hanging pictures, even with Blue Tac. No redecorating, no leaving one's imprint on ones home. No permanence, which means effectively no accumulating more possessions than you can afford to move every year or two.

There is no right or even expectation of pet ownership. There is no right to run even a hobby business from home. Many leases ban parking commercial vehicles on the property. Inspections are often every 3 months, and passing or failing is often subjective and arbitrary.

Legislation is overwhelmingly in the landlords favour. House washed away by flood, tenant pays rent until they lodge the forms to terminate the lease due to the premises being uninhabitable. Basic maintenance not done, the default response of the regulator is to offer the Tenant the option to terminate the lease without penalty, rather than enforcing minimum standards of habitability.

Australia needs to overhaul the concept of residential tenancy over the next decade to give the growing underclass the opportunity to establish roots and connections to their community.

Friday 26 August 2011

Corporationism

Someone in the US has noticed, but doesn't seem to have heard of National Socialism. The fascists in Germany in the 1930s called their party and system National Socialist. Like Mussolini in Italy, Hitler felt that the Government needed only the rich and the working class... Don't blame socialism which is working quite well in Australia where the AUD is high, crime rates are low and there is universal unemployment payments without time limits and a universal healthcare safety net. From a government that costs no more than that of the US.

Dylan Ratigan writes:

Sunday 14 August 2011

Google doing Evil

Much of my online identity is under a net.alias adopted because practicing my religion was a criminal offense until a few years ago. There is a threat hanging over me if the government changes hands that those sections of the Criminal Code will be restored.

By insisting that I use my real name for Google+, Google puts me at risk of prosecution should the Queensland State Government fall under the control of certain factions of the LibNats. Prosecution for simply being Wiccan.

Maybe I'll ask Google to remimburse me the costs of moving to another state it it comes to pass. Afterall their policy is to Not Be Evil.

May I recommend: