Australia Fast Becoming One Of The Most Inequitable Nations On Earth
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Recent research published by The Australia Institute confirms that the decade 2009-2019 was the most inequitable, in terms of wealth-growth-share, in Australia’s history. A decade overseen by the Coalition of Liberals and Nationals on the federal stage. A mining boom and surging property market has rocketed 90% of new wealth growth into the hands of the top 10% of earners and owners in Australia during this period. Australia fast becoming one of the most inequitable nations on earth should not surprise many, as they have supported policies pushing the nation in this direction.
Inequality In Australia 2009-19 On World Record Pace
Australians have been voting out of their hip pockets for some time now. The wealthy are more concerned with increasing their own wealth than any ideas of fairness or a fair go for all Australians. They voted in a Coalition government that flattened the tax rate making it less progressive and thus much more unfair to the poor. A Coalition that went after the poorest Australians via the Robodebt scheme, in a misguided and nasty attempt to paint them as welfare cheats. This spectacularly backfired and cost us the tax payers $1.8 billion in a class action settlement. It also cost the lives of several vulnerable Australians, who killed themselves after being wrongly accused of owing large sums of money. All Australians are equally responsible for sitting back and letting this scheme go on for 5 years, indifferent to the suffering of the poor among us.
Australian Inequality Championed By The Coalition
Tony Abbott, Scott Morrison, Alan Tudge, Stuart Robert, Marise Payne and Christian Porter were all gung ho zealots leading Australia down a road toward greater inequality and less compassion for those less fortunate. Australia used to be a largely equitable place, a land of the fair go, but that state has been rescinded long ago. The Coalition pushed an Americanisation onto Australia, with attempts to change our higher education system and they would have done the same to the health insurance system if possible. Privatisation has delivered huge windfalls for a small coterie of wealthy mates and no benefits for consumers, as seen in the energy sector, where prices continue to climb and promised savings are like the Tasmanian Tiger- rarely sighted.
Neoliberalism is the great conservative con promising the trickle down effect. The wealthy make massive profits and the average Australian gets bugger all. Everything now is pay as you go and services are reduced across the spectrum. The rich get much richer and the poor get poorer over the life of the ordinary Aussie. The conservative push is for less regulation and oversight. All the regulatory bodies in Australia are toothless tigers, as was revealed in the Royal Commission into the banks and financial sector. The same with the aged care sector, where promises about caring for your elderly are hardly worth the paper they’re printed on. It is convenient for Australians to believe these things, however, as it lessons the guilt for not looking after their own parents and grandparents. We get the governments we deserve. Australia fast becoming one of the most inequitable nations on earth is no surprise to those elderly being maltreated in institutional care.
Wage growth in Australia has stagnated over the last decade and a half. The Coalition has been union bashing for many years and this in concert with the Murdoch media empire has seen a huge decline in the union presence by membership numbers in Australia. The workers have lost their united voice and wages have stagnated what a surprise. Australians are still too dumb to realise the correlation. The media in Australia has been an oligopoly bordering on monopoly in many cities and states. The arch conservative voice of Murdoch’s newspapers and networks all sing from the same right wing song sheet. Australians have been too dumb and apathetic to do anything about this for a long time. Governments have been complicit in this, especially the Coalition changing the media ownership rules to serve Murdoch. Only the ABC has maintained its independence and the Coalition embarked on a virulent campaign to tone down Auntie for many years. It has been effective with most journalism neutered into a bland rendition of what it once was. Again, Australians seem to lack the nous to understand that private enterprise media, corporate media, always backs its advertisers at the expense of true objectivity in reporting the news. Murdoch replaced investigative journalism with opinion based editorial and advertorial in his papers and on his radio and TV networks. They tell the stories the way they want it to sound. You don’t hear these folks warning about inequality, despite it happening at a world record pace here in Australia. Mateship in Australia is reserved for corporates mates looking out for each other in divvying up Australia’s wealth. Australia fast becoming one of the most inequitable nations on earth – thanks to the Coalition.
Tony Abbott played politics with climate change and so did all his Liberal mates that followed. I seriously would like to see these people prosecuted at the Hague for crimes against humanity. Australian efforts to transition from fossil fuels in the energy sector have been put back decades. It will now be far more painful and demand much more severe action to meet the existential challenge ahead. Our children will not be thanking the Liberal Party and the Nationals.
Peter Dutton is playing politics with the Voice to Parliament and Uluru Statement from the Heart. The Liberals and Nationals are once again attempting to derail an important national move toward recognition of our Indigenous brothers and sisters. How do you think Aboriginal Australia went in getting their fair share of the wealth growth during 2009-19? How do you think the many Indigenous Aussies are doing in the bush in terms of getting their fare share of Australian wealth? Do you think that it has been a level playing field? Get real Australia and stop looking at yourselves in the mirror with rose coloured glasses on. Out of sight, out of mind indifference is your default position.
The richer are getting richer and all you care about is getting a share for yourself and your family. The super wealthy are becoming even more outrageously wealthy and you sit back and applaud. Then you listen to right wing shock jocks complain about crime in Alice Springs. What do you think is going to happen if you apathetically allow some folks to take the lot and leave slim pickings for the rest? Social unrest and crime waves are already happening. You did nothing, you voted out of self-interest time and time again. Don’t complain to me when the shit hits the fan. Be warned. Inequality breeds violent reprisals born out of the bitterness of always being short-changed by life. The Australian fair go is a sham, probably a furphy even from back then. Australia fast becoming one of the most inequitable nations on earth and you sit idly by.
Robert Sudha Hamilton in his latest book Money Matters: Navigating Credit, Debt, and Financial Freedom
©MidasWord
