Conservative leader Tony Abbott has celebrated a landslide victory in Australia

[tailfins]

Conservative leader Tony Abbott has celebrated a landslide victory in Australia's general election, after reducing the Labour Party to its worst result in a century with promises of tough action against immigrants and scrapping a tax on carbon emissions.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/australiaandthepacific/australia/10293102/Tony-Abbott-to-be-new-Australian-prime-minister-after-landslide-win.html (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/australiaandthepacific/australia/10293102/Tony-Abbott-to-be-new-Australian-prime-minister-after-landslide-win.html)

[gabosaurus]

Great posting by someone who has zero clue what really happened in the Australian elections. Nor what the political parties actually stand for.
The Labor Party was deeply fractured after former PM Kevin Rudd ousted former leader Julia Guillard, which is what caused elections to be called in the first place. All Abbott had to do is avoid a Weiner-ish sex scandal and he was destined to win.
By the way, the Coalition party, which Abbott is the leader of, endorses economic liberalism.

[jafar00]

There goes the neighbourhood.

Prostitutes his daughters for votes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyTN5KWW8nM

Insulted a dead soldier then awkward silence after being confronted about it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wT9XS_TvzQ
Abbott's Suppository of all knowledge
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lccq95SxEIM

Aww the girly has sex appeal eh Tony?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcYuowUqXXY

'Full body contact never hurt anyone': Tony Abbott poses with netball girls

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xv-QBeurUvc

I'm embarrassed he won the election.

Now he will sell off assets, slash and burn govt spending, cause international embarrassment, lumber us with an outdated National Broadband Network that the rest of the world laughs at and hurt Australian business by getting rid of tax breaks.

It's not going to be pretty.

[tailfins]

There goes the neighbourhood.

Prostitutes his daughters for votes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyTN5KWW8nM

Insulted a dead soldier then awkward silence after being confronted about it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wT9XS_TvzQ
Abbott's Suppository of all knowledge


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lccq95SxEIM

Aww the girly has sex appeal eh Tony?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcYuowUqXXY

'Full body contact never hurt anyone': Tony Abbott poses with netball girls

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xv-QBeurUvc

I'm embarrassed he won the election.

Now he will sell off assets, slash and burn govt spending, cause international embarrassment, lumber us with an outdated National Broadband Network that the rest of the world laughs at and hurt Australian business by getting rid of tax breaks.

It's not going to be pretty.


If that's the worst you can say about him, he must be squeaky clean.

[Noir]

Sad times, but apparently that what most Aussies want.

[tailfins]

Sad times, but apparently that what most Aussies want.


It's funny how people finally get tired of the turd sandwich lefties are so adept at serving up. Some people don't enjoy watching their power bill double or their salary drop, imagine that! I was shocked to see how low salaries are in your part of the world.

[Noir]

It's funny how people finally get tired of the turd sandwich lefties are so adept at serving up. Some people don't enjoy watching their power bill double or their salary drop, imagine that! I was shocked to see how low salaries are in your part of the world.

What would be a minimum wage, full-time job for a year in the states be in your 'part if the world'?

[jimnyc]

What would be a minimum wage, full-time job for a year in the states be in your 'part if the world'?

Even at $8 an hour, more than minimum wage, leaves one with about $17k per year. Good for younger folk, college kids and first time jobs...

[Noir]

Even at $8 an hour, more than minimum wage, leaves one with about $17k per year. Good for younger folk, college kids and first time jobs...




Even at $8 an hour, more than minimum wage, leaves one with about $17k per year. Good for younger folk, college kids and first time jobs...

And the min wage here is $9.50 (and set to increase next month) ....which is considerably higher, not 'shockingly low'?

[jimnyc]

And the min wage here is $9.50 (and set to increase next month) ....which is considerably higher, not 'shockingly low'?

Does it vary? Are these links incorrect?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uk_minimum_wage

https://www.gov.uk/national-minimum-wage-rates

[Kathianne]

I used Chicago, which is considerably higher than the COL in suburbs:

http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_cities.jsp?country1=United+States&country2=United+Kingdom&city1=Chicago%2C+IL&city2=London


Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL (http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/city_result.jsp?country=United+States&city=Chicago%2C+IL) and London (http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/city_result.jsp?country=United+Kingdom&city=London) <!-- social share start -->
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You would need around 3,950.61£ (6,177.66$) in London to maintain
the same standard of life that you can have with 4,400.00$ in Chicago, IL
(assuming you rent in both cities).
This calculation uses our Consumer Prices Including Rent Index.


<tbody>
Indices Difference
http://www.numbeo.com/images/information.png (http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/cpi_explained.jsp)


Consumer Prices in London are 32.33% higher than in Chicago, IL


Consumer Prices Including Rent in London are 40.40% higher than in Chicago, IL


Rent Prices in London are 53.47% higher than in Chicago, IL


Restaurant Prices in London are 27.45% higher than in Chicago, IL


Groceries Prices in London are 16.61% higher than in Chicago, IL


Local Purchasing Power in London is 35.98% lower than in Chicago, IL

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[Noir]

Does it vary? Are these links incorrect?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uk_minimum_wage

https://www.gov.uk/national-minimum-wage-rates

Nope those links are correct.
I think the minimum wage is a bit higher if you live in London but the same rate everywhere else in the UK.

Currently adult min wage is £6.19, which converts to $9.68

[tailfins]

And the min wage here is $9.50 (and set to increase next month) ....which is considerably higher, not 'shockingly low'?

Don't you aspire to something better than minimum wage? What is the market wage for an experienced C# Software Engineer in your neck of the woods? In the US, it's about USD 100K. In the UK, it's about GBP 40K ~ USD 60K, which is appalling. I see the UK is considerably more expensive than almost most of the US. With that lower wage adjusted for purchasing power you're down to less than USD 39K !! Right now the best trade-off between cost of living and *IT* pay rates is CO and UT with USD 120K-140K per year being obtainable.

[jafar00]

Just be glad you don't live in Sydney, one of the most expensive cities in the world. The median house price is $690,000 which gets you a basic 2 bedroom flat unless you live way out west. A croissant costs $4 (vs 1 euro in Paris), A loaf of bread $3-4, a small bottle of water $3, and a cappuccino will set you back $4. A basic lunch from a food hall is $12-15 not including drinks of course. On the Big Mac Index (http://www.economist.com/content/big-mac-index) we come in at #11 for our $5 burger though.

[CSM]

Just be glad you don't live in Sydney, one of the most expensive cities in the world. The median house price is $690,000 which gets you a basic 2 bedroom flat unless you live way out west. A croissant costs $4 (vs 1 euro in Paris), A loaf of bread $3-4, a small bottle of water $3, and a cappuccino will set you back $4. A basic lunch from a food hall is $12-15 not including drinks of course. On the Big Mac Index (http://www.economist.com/content/big-mac-index) we come in at #11 for our $5 burger though.

and that is why you have "free" health care!

[tailfins]

Just be glad you don't live in Sydney, one of the most expensive cities in the world. The median house price is $690,000 which gets you a basic 2 bedroom flat unless you live way out west. A croissant costs $4 (vs 1 euro in Paris), A loaf of bread $3-4, a small bottle of water $3, and a cappuccino will set you back $4. A basic lunch from a food hall is $12-15 not including drinks of course. On the Big Mac Index (http://www.economist.com/content/big-mac-index) we come in at #11 for our $5 burger though.

Whether it's done through low wages or high costs, why bother with a place that gives a poor standard of living? Am I right to assume AUS 100K won't get you much in Sydney? I have my eye on Denver. The median single family home is about $200K with $120K-$140K annual earnings for experienced IT consultants. It seems the Mile High City has Sydney beat by a mile.

[Tyr-Ziu Saxnot]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/australiaandthepacific/australia/10293102/Tony-Abbott-to-be-new-Australian-prime-minister-after-landslide-win.html (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/australiaandthepacific/australia/10293102/Tony-Abbott-to-be-new-Australian-prime-minister-after-landslide-win.html) Is he a true conservative? --Tyr

[jafar00]

Whether it's done through low wages or high costs, why bother with a place that gives a poor standard of living? Am I right to assume AUS 100K won't get you much in Sydney? I have my eye on Denver. The median single family home is about $200K with $120K-$140K annual earnings for experienced IT consultants. It seems the Mile High City has Sydney beat by a mile.

You have us well and truly beaten there. I am only here because my company needed me to be here. Before I was quite happy in Malaysia where a good lunch for 2 including drinks costs about half the price of a lunch without drinks for one in Sydney. A decent 3-4 bedroom house (not an apartment, a house with land and yards) costs $100-150k in Kuala Lumpur. I know because I was looking to buy before I was moved.

You are right. $100k in Sydney doesn't get much. You wouldn't be able to buy a house for sure and if you rented an average 2 bed apartment for around $2500/mo you would be paying more than 1/3 your salary on the rent.

The problem is negative gearing. Those with the means can buy a property and rent it out at a loss, then claim the loss in tax and pay less tax as a result. This has fuelled demand and driven prices up so far that houses are on average, 56% over valued. If the median price was $300-400k like it should be, it would be a hell of a lot more affordable for sure. The place I'm renting (for $2680/mo) at the moment sold for $580k a few years ago and it's a bit run down. The location 5 mins from a beach is advantageous though.