Life is much better under Labor after all, says study

[***super_nova***]

The Gillard government oversaw the smallest increase in cost of living of any Australian government for at least 25 years despite the introduction of the carbon tax, a new study has found.

Moreover, Australian households have seen real incomes - disposable income minus cost of living increases - rise 15 per cent since just after Labor took office, giving the average household a $5324 a year boost, or $102 a week.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/federal-election-2013/life-is-much-better-under-labor-after-a...

[izabsmiling]

Cats Back , I think that there are numerous things which have and  may be having an impact 

http://www.theglobalmail.org/feature/homeless-on-100k-the-boom-digs-into-mining-towns/20/

Homeless on 100K: The Boom Digs Into Mining Towns By Bernard LaganFebruary 6, 2012

In a town built by the mining industry, long-timers are selling up. They can’t afford to live here, or work outside the mines. And the miners? They just fly in and fly out each week, leaving communities in crisis.

and this re Queensland ..recent (Flood related)

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-08-12/qld-floods-six-months-on/4880516

Flood-ravaged Queensland businesses struggle to find tradies for repair work

AM 

By William Rollo

Posted Mon 12 Aug 2013, 1:45pm AEST

Small businesses in Gladstone are still struggling to repair the damage caused by the floods that hit central and southern Queensland in January.

People whose businesses were inundated six months ago say they are competing with resource companies for tradespeople.

Ross Pearce owns a boat rental business at the Lake Awoonga Dam south-west of Gladstone, and he says his jaw still drops recalling January's record flood.

The water rose to almost double the height of the flood in 2010 and 2011, destroying his business for the third time.

"Last November the business got back to its old self," Mr Pearce said.

"We made good money, then it all stopped on the 26th."

More than six months on, the mammoth repair job has barely started.

"Since January to now we've made $6,000," he added.

Gladstone is being transformed into Queensland's coal seam gas export hub, with three multi-billion dollar liquefied natural gas plants under construction at nearby Curtis Island.

Mr Pearce says because of that, he is competing with resources companies for tradespeople.

"You could ring people, ask them for a quote, and no-one turns up. You leave a message saying, 'I want a quote'. They're not even interested," Mr Pearce said.

"Can't blame them. They're on big money now on the projects, so there's no one in town that's sort of fulfilling the little man's jobs."

read more :

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-08-12/qld-floods-six-months-on/4880516

[lakeland27]

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@catmad*2013 wrote:

lol.. it might be better for those that have a mortgage or live in the city... 

But

Come and live out my way for a while... see the minimum 6000 people that lost their jobs this past 12 months directly related to ALP policy decisions.

Come and talk to those business owners that still live in those mining towns that are trying not to go bankrupt after half the town have moved out and the mines have stopped spending. 

Come and see the people that are retired and live on their savings and they have record low interest rates. 

Come and speak to farmers that irrigate YOUR food and ask them about the $4000 quarterly electricity bill thanks to the carbon tax. 

Come and speak to the locals that can't get a job because of a slow economy because people  are not spending. 

Sorry but I live my reality... I don't need a university in Canberra to tell me that we have never had it so good......

come and live in my shoes and then tell me that I have never had it so good.

Come and live in the shoes of my child that can't get a job without moving into a big city where he has no support and will pay higher bills that he won't be able to afford on a teenagers wage. 

come and speak to someone outside of the city limits. 

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 so you can see for yourself what little generations of national party representation has done for the regions .

that's why there are (or where) so many national party defectors.. the nationals leaders in Canberra have always been a rubber stamp for the liberal party, they exist only to get the libs into office because they do precious little for their own constituencies ..ask Bob Katter, tony windsor ( and the list goes on) what they think..

as Katter said , the last national/ country party leader willing to defy the libs was doug anthony. he threatened to cross the floor and vote with labor things were so bad .  if you live in a nationals seat i wouldn't be expecting much .

[newstart2380]

Study who?

[***super_nova***]

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@catmad*2013 wrote:

 Businesses that I know are on the verge of bankruptcy are not the ones in town but the ones in mining towns. They were not flooded... they were strangled the day after the CO2 tax and the Mining Tax were introduced. 

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Considering that the mining tax is only payable on super profits, it mine is going broke they are not paying any.  Also they were able to off-set any tax with write downs, and very little of the tax was collected; so HOW on the earth it could affect your business?

The mining towns are dying because most of the mines now employ FIFO workers who do not spend in the town.  NOTHING to do with the government, it is the mining companies fault.

[purplecarrot-top]

It is all to do with the FIFO . We lived in a new mining town called Middlemount in 1980s. The company built the houses and rented them to us. Now these towns are like ghost towns.