Looks like i'm the youngster here.I was hatched in 51.Funnily enough i still feel like i'm 16.Must admit i have taken to covering the mirrors as some trickster has put pictures of a wrinkled old bag on all of them.
It won't make a difference who wins the election as i'm hoping to get oldtimers and forget the whole bloody thing.I live a simple life and as long as i have enough to pay the bills,buy some food and ciggies(yes i'm one of those that hasn't quit but still disgustingly healthy) i'm happy.
Own one house,two cars , one husband and many memories.Don't need much money for all that so i don't really care who wins.I actually think the baby boomers probably cost the country less than most.

Well Haygirl, I couldn't resist. I had to top you on age. I was '54'(Jan) baby and still remember the late 50's and most of the 60's as the best years this country ever saw. No World wars, no pollution, a simpler lifestyle and great hope for the future. Then came a succession of ever useless politicians World wide.

Like yourself Haygirl, I live a simple life. I only work part time since I wouldn't know what to do with any extra money. I spent years working bloody hard to keep two kids clothed, fed and educated and am now enjoying a downsized lifestyle (except for all those Christmas presents....grandkids, you know!)

Leigh, Raynard, I agree with everything you said. Younger people these days have no idea of saving for something and actually having to 'wait' to enjoy the fruits of their labor and I blame Government policies for much of this. Which ever mob gets into power after Saturdays elections, all we'll get is more of the same. Both major parties will continue to preach the mantra of greed.
Aime.

What an illuminating thread this is:

So far I've detected a bunch of right-wing, Christian racists who eschew tolerance !

You fall VERY nicely into john Howard's model for the functioning future of Australia:

This is REALLY what he wants:

Skip all the intermediate steps (saves all the inconvenient "debating in Parliament" and argy bargy with Unions and lawyers) and go straight to this!

1. Abolish all paid benefits to all workers immediately. (John Howard has nearly done this to date)
2. Those who object to this, should be sacked immediately (and they already have been). They can try to find the money to fight a court case for "unlawful dismissal".
3. Immediately coerce (did I say that!) remaining employees into signing Australian Workplace Agreements that are internationally competitive (this is in the papers every week now); where pay rates will be matched with, and pegged to, those equivalent workers in India (and paid in Rupees) or China (and paid in Yuan).
4. Anyone who doesn't sign an AWA - refer to point 2 above.
5. Offer jobs to any/all of the following:
(a) sacked workers who have since applied to Centrelink (who will be refused unemployment benefits unless they take the job at the internationally competitive (lowest) pay rates on offer);
(b) migrants who aren't used to prior working conditions (John Howard is bringing them in by the boatload)
(c) any other worker in the world who will work for the (lowest) internationally competitive pay rates on offer.
6. Use the highest wages differential of any country (Brazil as a benchmark). Aim to quadruple the spread by 2008 (unless the Rupee/AUD or Yuan/AUD is larger).
7. Anyone who complains about the government will be imprisoned for sedition or as a suspected terrorist under current draconian laws.

Think I'm joking? Read the newspapers again !

Results of above plan

Those who are left will:

1. Be referred to Centrelink who will refer them to 5(a) above.
2. If unsucessful, apply to nearest Charity (Smith Family/ St Vincent de Paul/ Salvation Army) who will be overwhelmed and under funded (since those in a job cannot afford to give to charity and those who can afford to give to a charity will say "let the bludgers starve").
3. Sell children to business owner who wants to provide employment for "youth unemployed". Promised to provide food & board in exchange for 20 hours, 7 days work a week.
4. Take up residence in nearest cardboard box (Eddy Avenue is full now).
5. Wonder whether it is worth continuing to live.

Exclusions to this plan are:

1. Sick, injured, infirm, old (that means YOU LOT) or mentally ill. YOU are not economically viable "production units" (see Ayn Rand: Atlas Shrugged; speech by John Galt) and should be eliminated immediately. Suggest they be "released into the community" and/or incarcerated in a prison. Possible alternative is the Auschwitz solution (Arbeit Macht Frei rule) for all.
2. Business Owners. They supply the capital and need to concentrate it at much as possible in the hands of the fewest. Hence the need to lower wages and conditions.
3. Politicians. These guys help re-engineer the society which will keep all the "production units" in production.

Iluvatar “a bunch of right-wing, Christian racists who eschew tolerance !”

At least they have “values”.

The most depressing thing I find with many posters, of younger years, is the “expectation to entitlement” rather than “values”.

An expectation the government will appoint a bureaucrat to wipe their hairy arses for them or nurse them from cradle to grave and make sure no one is allowed to aspire to more than the level of mediocrity of the masses.

I have no idea how old Iluvatar might be but anyone who thinks of people in terms of “economically viable "production units"” needs to reconsider their understanding of “individuals” (young and old) and maybe seek some remedial education (to fill in their lacklustre days as they wait in the queue at centrelink.).

The voting population is limited to those over 18, due to the immaturity of under 18’s, seen in the inability of infants and toddlers to comprehend a senate voting form (oh, that applies to the entire population not only infants). Hence, the older end of the population demographics vote with more significance than their proportion of total population

But we still vote. In my case I still pay taxes, both state and federal. I recall the old cry “no taxation without representation”. I do not think any government could afford to disenfranchise the “grays” at the expense of our tax contributions.
Although, in Victoria I would happily surrender my voting rights and take back the swath of monies this socialist state extort from me every year.

So Iluvatar, I would suggest you scrape some funds together and go and buy out one of those “business owners” you are complaining about. Then you could exploit your own workers all you want and be on what you see as the “winning side”.

Only problem is, as a business owner, you would have to wear the risk of failure from your own decisions.

And without a nanny state holding your safety net and dummy, doubt you would be up for that

As a 29 year old, I find the views towards young people unbelievable. Many of you label us as lazy, that we don't know how to save, and that it serves us right if rising interest rates cause us mortgage stress as we are foolish with money. What you fail to realise is that, through no fault of our own, house prices have risen astronomically such that we now have to spend a far higher proportion of our lifetime's earnings on basic housing than previous generations, meaning that we are hundreds of thousands of dollars financially worse-off than our parents or grandparents were at the same age.

As an example, my wife and I recently purchased an unrenovated 2 bedroom 12 square house on a subdivided block in Ashburton, Melbourne. It cost us $500k - or 10 times my after-tax income. We also saved $126k to cover the 20% deposit and $26k in taxes (equivalent to 2.5 years after-tax income). In the 1970s, the same house would have sold for 3-4 times my income. I know this because my blue-collar father bought a similar house in Malvern (a far better and more expensive suburb) on a larger block for 6 times his unskilled income. We don't have an extravagant lifestyle. Hell, we drive a 1985 Toyota Corona. And another thing, most of the people I know with plasma TVs etc are cashed up Baby Boomers.

Give us a break and get off your high horse.