Lexi, this from you:
“And for your further information the multicultural nature of Australian society today means that there is no single national identity but a gathering of many cultures, and this is one of the most, unique and rewarding aspects of living in Australia. The nature of being Australian is to be part of this diversity.”

I want a single national identity; I want everybody to stick together when we have to. Not the Greeks for the Greeks, the Arabs for the Arabs, and the Yugoslavs for the Yugoslavs etc. A nation can only have one culture but many contributors because culture evolves.
Lexi you are saying “no” to an Aussie culture and each to their own, but in a melded fashion. What culture should we use as a base to build this new melded culture upon? The Arab culture, the Baltic culture, the Italian culture, or the newest immigrants the African culture, which one do we use as a base, or as you suggest we all just do what we want, it’s your right, you are no longer under the nazi’s or the soviets.

You were born here and I bet you are a hell of a lot less Aussie than your folks, who fled unspeakable death and tyranny and probably blessed the day they arrived.

*overtime on holidays is fair, just as the boss charging a service fee on such days.
you seem to want price control for workers and not your self,,free market is the answer.*

Belly, I want no such thing. I am one of the few people who is
able to see both sides, as I have been both an employee and employer.

If your perception of fair means that many people are losing out
on work and money that they could have done with, I call that
stupidity. I believe in win-win situations which benefit everyone.

Where we have this huge problem in Australia, it comes from the
old British system of "them" and "us". Its a dismal failure.

Employers and employees are all in together, they also sink or
swim together.

In the case of country roadhouses, many are not on major highways,
them staying open is as much a community service as anything.
If the figures don't add up, owners will do it themselves or
simply close. Its a lose lose situation.

Next we'll be hearing moans and groans on OLO, about part time
unskilled workers not able to find enough work.

Shoot yourself in the foot if you please, but its not a smart
thing to do. But of course its not you paying the price,
but women who could have done with the money and now make zero.

SOG:

I don't know if I'm less Aussie than anybody else, all I know is that
I feel extremely fortunate and have a very powerful sense of belonging. I'm proud of my ancestry, as I think we all should be, however, I definitely could not imagine living anywhere else. This is my country. People continue to come from other countries and make Australia home, and although over 90 percent of Australians are of European descent, a direct result of Australian immigration policies, the population is slowly becoming more representative of the region.
The numbers of new arrivals are growing, and the cultural composition of the country is becoming even more diverse. It shall be interesting to look back in a few decades and see how Australia has evolved - because the only constant is change, and we shall continue to evolve. But enough said. It's what you feel in your heart that matters about where you belong.It is extremely subjective. I know where I belong.
I also know where I came from. The two are inter-twined. As they are for most people. They make us who we are. Thanks for a robust discussion. And I'll possibly see you on another thread. Before I go,
SBS on January 9th, will be showing an interesting program on Australia and her Immigration history - it may be worth watching.

government..hasnt ruined xmass...we have
there are many...non xtians..who will gladly do the job
on any holy day...thats the strength of multi culturalisms

just as we cover their jobs..on their holy days
there should be no such thing as a public holy-day
only leave entitlements for those observing the holy

those using the day to strengthen..that most holy
be it their own health..or their family..or their life partner

usa has at least one more public hollyday..than we do
we have ben ripped off in missing..'workers days off'

its dumb to call them 'public'..holidays..
they are rightly..national days..for a break..
from the busy-ness cycle..make the workers work-cycle

its sad to cry poor
mr how-hard...made the busyness cycle run 24/7

gave the willing em-ploy-er's...
workers CONTRACTED..into working every day of the year

you wanna break...then you dont get pay
no more holiday pay
nor annuel leave
nor paid leave
no sick pay

govt has done its prrile vile well
yet public..servants..get their public holidays
get their vairiable overtly generous super pension scemes

govt linkage of public servants pay..to poli-tic-ians
public sir-vice...to the parle-meant..pen-zion sceme
the party machinations..the colluded deciets...

mate who can we blame..but the govt..

ie..[the servants advising..and allowing..the excesses..
by these fly-ins..[party machine men]..every few years]..

selling out..the people of the common weal..
they are meant to be serving...not bleeding blooming dry
working to death...treating like serfs..criminaling..by stealth..

taxing into early graves

Yabby if we, all who have contributed to this thread, sat around and watched a federation year documentary we could learn much.
The country was far different people fashions and views.
We would be shocked to see our ancestors calling an England they may never have seen home.
Even you would be less than happy with the life workers had,almost owned by bosses.
Unions of those days even the great Australian Workers Union would be small but growing.
Move with me to the days Sir Robert Menzies governed us[lets be clear I dislike him ] he was the founder of todays Liberal party.
Idolized by John Howard still, he crafted his life in politics on him.
Pig Iron Bob or Ming had a view on every thing.
He was far more Liberal than those who control his party,and almost impossible to remove.
He however said these things, every worker has the right to be represented by a union.
Every worker has the right to a fair days pay.
And he did something my Labor leader never will, said workers should have the right to Arbitration.
Unions have changed,bosses too, never defended the radical extremism of you know who.
Never forgot unions must continue to evolve change and improve.
But let me tell you why we need unions
TBC

CIVILIZATION,big word yabby but what is it.
What binds us together to live as one country group or state.
Once dictatorships or kingdoms we dreamed of better,Socialism was a great idea but bound to fail.
No idea that takes the need to be better, the rewards for being better away can work.
Nothing we do can be perfect,nothing can stop some falling ,some cheating some committing crimes to be better off.
A town, take any one, can best describe my idea, every dollar paid in wages is spent in that town say.
Look around that new home with the car had to be paid for, you may sell some sheep you worked hard to get to market.
If the bloke who brings the fuel to you,or takes the sheep to market lives in a tin shed who will eat those sheep.
Wages are no different than those sheep and vital to our community.
Consumerism drives productivity and the reverse is true.
We do not question the bankers wages Doctors or plumbers but rant on about fair wages?
If a single hourly rate all hours worked was forced on us, it would need assurances it would have rules that can not be broken.
Workers want to have weekends to be with the kids and Friends.
For half a century ,more, overtime is what it is called.
Penalty rates for imposing on free time.
Shift workers do not get double time.
Last,with good Wil I could craft a EBA that pleased all in that work place, but only if and its a big if, the employer is human and not just a grub who thinks he/she owns the workers.