"The government ruined Xmas for Australia", should be the banner headline on every tabloid around the country.

According to the retail traders association this Xmas is definitely the worse for retail sales for twenty years, because twenty years ago interest rates went from 9% to 18% in months.

As Xmas looms and I drive down streets of darkened houses devoid of those joyous displays of Xmas lights I thought of better times where even if you lived week to week you could bung on some lights at Xmas.

I listened to the Petrol Commissioner JUSTIFYING how this and that meant fuel legitimately went up 20 cents a liter a couple of days before Xmas, and at the end of the same news report they tell me the Aussie buck is just a smidge over the US buck. Bloody amazing we Aussies never ever win.

I look back on a couple of Xmas's ago and miss the things that I never had then, but I have now, such as:

6 young Aussies dead because of the wasteful Batts rort, and lack of management and diligence.
150 house fires so far directly attributable to the lack of basic management talent in the cabinet.
Massive rorts in the BER scheme where the big end of town and the State Governments took a third of 16 billion for doing nothing.
No boarder protection boarder policy to speak of at present.
Our soldiers are not being paid because the bureaucrats are imbeciles and the government clueless.
Our soldiers being charged with murder in a free fire situation in a war zone.
Opening up of agricultural imports and foreign agri diseases.
The selling off of our water to foreign companies.
The selling off of our farm land to foreign nations and investors.
The traitorous legislations that hinder our farmers growing food.
An imminent Carbon tax where we get shafted directly and big biz gets compted.
My country moved from a 20 billion surplus to a 100 billion debt in a couple of years.

Merry Xmas and good luck Australia, we are going to need it.

My country moved from a 20 billion surplus to a 100 billion debt in a couple of years.

sonofgloin,
50% of the population could see that at the last federal election. 50% and two independents couldn't.

*According to the retail traders association this Xmas is definitely the worse for retail sales for twenty years*

Ah sonofgloin, your glass remains nearly empty, whilst mine remains
two thirds full!

I thought the above would finally be great news! Consumers finally
becoming sensible, no more overloading their credit cards with
overpriced pre Christmas goods, half of which are unwanted anyhow.

A bit more saving and a bit less wasting money, is not a bad thing.
The best way to deal with banks of course, is to buy some of their
shares, not max out on their credit cards.

For consumers of course, there is great news around. Online
marketing is booming. No need for consumers to pay pesky gatekeepers
like Westfield, a big fee to buy goods there. Retailers are being
forced into more honesty. If their overheads are overblown, consumers won't just have to wear it, as they used to. They now have
choice.

The AFR on December 23rd, published an interesting couple of pages,
comparing Australia in the late 90s-2000 to now.

In that time, GDP per person has doubled.
Average home size has increased by 25% or so.
The price of the average engagement ring has doubled.
Philanthropy has tripled to 2.35 billion $
Champagne consumption has doubled.
Luxury car sales are up 40%
High net worth individuals has increased from 74'000 to 174'000

Cocaine sales in Sydney are booming, like never before.

The country is hardly doing it tough.

Was it Hanrahan who said we will all be ruined?
I rather like the Henny Penny type myself.
As debates rage about increased interest rates mining tax's and heaps of evidence we are far out in front of most of the world b the thread amuses me.
More afraid however of real things that myopia driven politics.

SOG:

Don't you believe it. The sky isn't falling, at least not yet. And you'd certainly know it if you were anywhere near a shopping mall on Boxing Day. Finding a parking space was near to impossible, with some folks having slept there over night so that they'd be able to get in as soon as the doors opened. Sales, Sales, and more Sales, with shop owners rubbing their hands in glee. Doom sayers will continue to predict the worst but all we need to do is watch the news on a regular basis and check out how the rest of the world is doing then realise just how lucky we really are, with actually very little to complain about. (Especially me...I've just spent the money I got for
Christmas and picked up heaps of bargains at a fraction of the cost...) Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle All The Way, Oh What Fun it is To Be In Myers Boxing Day - Yay!

SOG:

cont'd...

I forgot to add - if it's really as bad as you claim in this country
under the current government maybe you should consider migrating to
Canada and let an unfortunate Canadian take your place here in Australia or maybe you'd prefer to swap places with a dozen or so -
boat people? I'm sure they'd appreciate your Christmas in Oz.