Do you ever sit and think to yourself about all the wonderful things you would like to do for your family, friends, local community and Australians generally?

If you are anything like me, it is frustrating when you want to help make the lives of others that little bit easier, better, happier, safer (and so on) But struggle with ever getting yourself to the position where you can genuinely have a positive impact on the lives of others.

I would love to be elected to parliament and stand up for those who are being hard done by or treated unfairly or simply being overlooked and forgotten.

Whether it is the unemployed, the low income earners, people with disabilities or whether it is small businesses who are struggling to stay afloat, there are so many groups within our country who are being dealt a raw deal by those currently in power.

When was the last time the government got tough on banks? The last thing l remember about politicians & banks was the Australian Government acted like their insurer and provided a guarantee to investors that their money would be safe and in the event of a banking crisis it would be the Australian Tax Payer who would return any lost funds…. Whilst it was the Government on behalf of the tax payer who did a massive favour for the banks, it was the banks who decided it was reasonable to charge consumers a $2 fee for using an ATM (Machine). One would have thought that Government would have insisted on the banks doing something kind/considerate towards Australians and demanded that ATM fees be abolished in return for the Government Banking Guarantee…. But no, that didn’t happen.

There are so many issues at the moment that it is impossible to list them all, but in short l am one for “Common Sense” and l am also very much for looking after your own backyard first & foremost, which among other things also means we must stop Australia being sold out to foreign investors because we are heading down a path which has zero prospects for our children/grand children and may ultimately see Australia one day owned and controlled by the Chinese Government.

Anyways, getting back on track, l would love to get into Canberra and make some noise. There are many issues that l have strong opinions on and many that l am open minded about. I ask that people who read my blog and this post in particular, please keep visiting and when the time comes l will ask everyone who is willing to get behind me and help spread the word.

If there is anyone who is standing or considering to stand as an independent l would be very happy to chat sometime and possibly help with your individual campaigns.

I should also point out that while l will most likely stand as an independent, l am currently a Palmer United Party member and supporter. I strongly believe that Clive Palmer has the best of intentions and has thus far been standing up to the LNP Government as best he can. While there are many within the community who choose to “Knock, Bag & Criticise” Clive Palmer, l simply say that you should not always believe what you see, hear and read…. The Mainstream Media does have an agenda which is often different to PUP and that sometimes influences  the way in which Clive is portrayed by the media…… so please don’t let them fool you.

 

As many may have heard, the Woolies attempt to take on Bunnings has cost them dearly. Apparently Masters has lost $700 Million (or thereabouts)

I remember when l first heard that Woolies was going to take on Bunnings l did think it would be a good thing for us consumers.  I honestly thought it would have led to lower prices and l thought it would have resulted in big hardware stores being even closer to home…. How wrong my assumptions turned out to be.

I don’t know about you, but l have not noticed much in the way of a price war. In fact l see that the two chains stock different brands of items to prevent the consumer from playing the price match guarantee up against each store.

I guess the biggest disappointment for me was the fact that Woolies decided to build their stores directly opposite Bunnings stores, in effect they did not enable consumers from the “Other End Of Town” to have a hardware giant closer to them because they planted themselves right on top of Bunnings.

It now is the case that when you visit a Bunnings you also have another set of traffic lights (Freshly Installed) down the road a few metres to accommodate the Masters store.

The positioning of each Masters store has not contributed positively to the consumer needs, it has actually had a negative effect and l guess it is for that reason that l can honestly say l have no sympathy for Masters having lost $700 Million dollars.

As a side note… I would like to know what the various councils were thinking when they approved the building and subsequent over supply of hardware giants within such close proximity of each other. I suppose that all came back down to “Money” and the power of the corporate giants…. while many of us will have to fight and struggle to build a car port to protect our cars from the elements, some people or should l say “Corporate Giants” can do as they please.

 

 

While l have personally spent a bit of time arguing via social media for Indonesian President “Joko Widodo” to grant clemency to Chan & Sukumaran, this is the first post on this topic to my blog.

It was only a few minutes ago that l posted my latest reply to a discussion that has been taking place on a facebook group that l am a member of (I will include the link at bottom of post)

During my latest reply……. i realised something….. something quite important and very significant!

On one side of this discussion we have the “Sovereign Country who still practices the Death Penalty” It is very hard to argue against that point……

On my side of this discussion we have the “Death penalty brings an “END” to the punishment for the guilty/accused, but is the start of a new and bigger penalty for their often totally innocent families” Which l believe is hard to argue against that point…..

There are “MANY” other arguments “For & Against” which are good points and no doubt there are several points which are also difficult to argue against…….

Having these types of discussions/friendly debates may not result in us all agreeing, but it can lead to a better understanding as to why people might have a different view to that of “Ourselves” and it can help to bring people ” TO A COMPROMISE” which “More” people might be in agreement to.

None of us can “STOP” what may soon happen to Chan & Sukumaran as that is in the hands of one man….. (Joko Widodo) But if he was to read these types of public discussions and have the willingness to compromise. Joko Widodo can and possibly still may remove the death penalty for Chan & Sukumaran, but he needs something that might enable him to overcome his current “Tough” stance and “Not Negotiable” attitude.

While we (The general public) are in the dark as to all of the dialogue that has occurred between our Government/Officials and the Indonesians…… We are asking Indonesia to apply a lighter sentence to Chan & Sukumaran, but what are we actually offering in return?

To date l have seen our Government begin in a polite manner and attempt to pull on the heart strings of Joko Widodo, it appears that it hasn’t worked. In more recent times l have seen a harder tone in the dialogue which also has seemingly failed……

Our Government hinting of “Consequences” should Chan & Sukumaran be executed may cause Joko Widodo to get his back up at what he may perceive as being “Threats” or he might “Give In” because of the potential impact the “Consequences” may have. (Flip a Coin on that one)

By lobbying Indonesia to reduce the sentence currently imposed on Chan & Sukumaran, we are in effect trying to influence the penalties applied in another Sovereign Country, but are we willing to let Indonesia influence the penalties we apply here in Australia?

I do wonder to myself if at any point, has our government considered “Giving” Indonesia a commitment to lobby our States/Territories or make some changes to Federal Laws to “FURTHER DISCOURAGE” drug smuggling between Indonesia & Australia?

It could be seen as us influencing Indonesia to give some ground, while at the same time, Indonesia influencing us to also give some ground. It would not be perceived as a “Threat” nor would it be seen as “Joko Giving In” Quite simply it would be viewed as both sides coming a little closer to the middle and in effect reaching a “FAIR AND DIPLOMATIC COMPROMISE”

The Bali9 only risked the DEATH PENALTY whilst they was on the Indonesian side….. so in this case while trying to “Depart” Indonesia. The moment that plane got up in the air, they would have felt a huge sigh of relief that “IF” they get caught it would now be at the Australian “Arrivals” and our penalties are far lesser…… maybe 6 – 14 years in much cleaner and higher standard of prison.

As we know, the Bali9 were apprehended in Indonesia, as a result they are exposed to the Indonesian Justice & penalty system.  If the Bali9 had of made it out of Indonesia and home to Australia to be arrested, they would have been subject to the Australian justice system and our much lesser penalties.

A compromise that might have been able to help convince Joko to grant clemency could have been that “WE” will raise our penalties to a much longer term in prison and we will set higher minimums. In an attempt to further discourage drug smuggling……. Such a compromise could help both sides of this discussion to feel a sense of satisfaction.

If Australian Government officials offered to “UP” our penalties at home, it could be seen as the Indonesians influencing us to “Increase” our penalties.  (Which they currently view as being too light) and it may provide Joko Widodo with the “Incentive” to grant clemency on “This” occasion. Further it would “GIVE” Joko something REAL, Something Tangible and Something for him to “Proudly” hang his at on.

It would be interesting to know if our government even “THOUGHT” of this type of dialogue during their numerous requests for Clemency? I may well be wrong…… but my guess would be “NO THEY PROBABLY DIDN’T”

Australia can not tell Indonesia that their penalties are too harsh, UNLESS we are willing to listen to Indonesia that perhaps our penalties are too soft……. Both countries can and should learn from each other and attempt to bring each countries penalties that little bit closer together.

My message to Australian officials trying to influence Joko Widodo.

Yes! you must stand firm and inform Joko of the potential consequences of executing Chan & Sukumaran, but you must keep those discussions confidential and you must offer something significant, but more importantly “SOMETHING FOR JOKO TO HANG HIS HAT ON” in return for his  cooperation on this matter.

Offer or find a compromise that can be viewed by both countries as a win for the “War On Drugs” both here in Australia and Indonesia.

To increase our penalties in Australia for mercy on Chan & Sukumaran would be Australia & Indonesia “GIVING” but also “GAINING” ground on what we must concede are penalties that are still worlds apart.

Here is the link to the post/discussion l have been involved with

CLICK HERE

 

 

 

many of us Australians and

I did a bit of a google search today to find out a few facts and figures relating to Australia’s foreign aid budget and among other things l found that our foreign aid budget has been capped for 2 years at $5Billion until 2016-17 when the Foreign Aid budget will automatically rise in line with the Consumer Price Index.

I also found that Australia has international obligations under the Millennium Development Goals to spend 0.7 per cent of Gross National Income on effective aid by 2020. Which basically means that we “MUST” continue to spend money on foreign aid…….. no matter how tight our overall budget may become.

I guess Australians fall into 2 main groups

(A) One which says we must and should provide foreign aid in order to help and assist developing countries and countries in crisis

(B) The group who might say we should be spending more money on looking after our own citizens and less on those from across the globe.

Perhaps we can reach a compromise that satisfies the concerns of both groups l referred to above.

We all know that people in desperate need can not “EAT” money, nor can they “WEAR” bank notes…. The money we send across in Foreign Aid must be “Spent” or “Converted” into items that particular countries and people may be needing. I.E. Our Foreign Aid dollars might be spent buying food, buying clothing, building houses and infrastructure and other items that may be needed.

In January 2014 the Federal Government rejected a request from SPC Ardmona (or Coca Cola Amatil) for a $25Million assistance package, which at the time placed more than 500 Victorian jobs on the line. Thankfully the Victorian State Government entered into an agreement for about $22Million in assistance for SPC Ardmona and the 500 plus Victorian jobs are secure….. For now

So my question to the Current (and future) Australian Governments. Why not spend money from the Foreign Aid budget to purchase SPC Ardmona tinned food products and send those products overseas to countries and people who require food? I am only throwing numbers around (no real theory behind it) but surely if The Australian Government said to SPC Ardmona that we require $250Million worth of canned food products per year. The tinned food shall be delivered overseas to assist in our efforts to prevent starvation. This would become a huge windfall for the Australian Based Supplier who wins a massive ongoing Government contract. In turn provides job security for Australians and at the same time we would be doing the right thing in ensuring we are helping to feed those in need from all over the world.

But why stop there…… Lets spend more of the Foreign Aid budget on Australian made products and ship those items to countries in need and let that become the way in which we meet our commitments under the Millennium Development Goals to spend 0.7 per cent of Gross National Income on effective aid by 2020.

Yes we shall continue too spend the money on foreign aid that is required and expected of us, but we shall spend it on Australian made goods which are then shipped to where ever they are required.

Even when it comes to infrastructure and building/construction, we could send over Australian teams to help build these projects and potentially we could open up new opportunities for people who might be currently unemployed to join these teams as laborers and/or skilled workers.

What ever we are trying to do with our foreign aid dollars we ought to seriously consider ways in which we can get the people in need the “Goods, Services & Help” that they require, but where ever possible we should be ensuring we help by spending the money within our own economy and sending the products to those who need them.

Well l had to give up standing up for Clive Palmer via twitter.

But it is only “Temporary”

The character restrictions imposed for each tweet makes it near on impossible to properly combat those who simply throw adjectives at you in an attempted attack on Clive Palmer.

Today it has all been about the National Press Gallery address by Clive Palmer…….. And yes some people are making Mountains out of mole hills.

I was lucky enough to watch the wonderful address given by Clive Palmer today. The speech went for about 40 minutes and covered a large range of different aspects of the Palmer United Party achievements and triumphs thus far in Canberra.

The abolishing of the Carbon Tax

Abolishing of the Mineral Resource Rent Tax whilst maintaining the school kids bonus and other measures that PUP felt were important to maintain.

Rejecting the $7 co payment to see a G.P.

Rejecting the the cuts to education & university fee deregulation

Rejecting Abbotts plan to raise the retirement age to 70

Plus there were several other achievements spoken about by today.

Clive Palmer spoke about introducing a “Chapter 11” type arrangement here in Australia…. Similar to that done in The United States. He spoke of the likely benefits to our economy and the nation by simply giving companies the option of taking the Chapter 11 type arrangement. As opposed to being shut down/dissolved/bankrupted  by government.

Clive spoke of the need for Government to stop requiring companies to pay tax in advance and instead pay the tax when the company knows what their profit or loss was for the financial year. He explained the economic benefits of allowing companies to use that money during the course of the financial year instead of giving it to government in advance.

Clive Spoke about the need for an Emission Trading Scheme and numerous other subjects during his speech today.

At the end of the speech Clive Palmer was happy to take questions. There was a question about Jacqui Lambie, a question about the Victorian election result and one or two other reasonable questions. But to my knowledge/memory none of the journalists asked Clive much if anything about the achievements of Palmer United Party, no questions about his ideas to keep our economy strong and ticking along……. and no one bothered to ask about, nor congratulate Mr Palmer for giving his entire Politician salary away to charity.

There were of course questions about the Queensland Court case to which Clive Palmer did a fair and very reasonable job of responding to the first two questions on that subject…….. But as the Murdoch Journos had not been able to secure their next headline they tried to ask a third question on that same subject, to which Mr Palmer initially advised that he has answered similar questions, the matter is before the courts and he will not be in contempt by making any further comments…. But the Journalist (like a spoiled kid who was getting no lollies) began to whine and completely ignored Mr Palmer’s response.

Mr Palmer was not going to answer any more of “Those” type of questions, but the Journalist could not accept that and attempted to bully Clive Palmer into answering the question by repeating himself and whinging for Mr Palmer to answer his question.

Yes Clive Palmer did fire back with a few observations and suggestions for the Journalist to consider, but from what l saw today it was well warranted!

So what happened after the Press Gallery Address today???

Well as one has come to expect from much of the media/press these days. The headlines and the story was “ALL” about Clive Palmer giving the journalist a response that the journalist could not handle.

Some journalists really need to “TOUGHEN UP” I mean if you want to make a living from reporting half of a story, twisting the facts and attacking Clive Palmer, then you ought to be capable of copping what you dish up.

I have had a few people tweet me with all kinds of nonsense and links to stories written as a result of today’s Press Gallery Address. I must admit l “WASTED” my time and read a few of these articles and what l found interesting is that most of them made an entire story from that one question which Clive refused to answer………… These same articles did not have a word to say about any of the Palmer United Party achievements, nor a word regarding the ideas, plans and visions Mr Palmer spoke about this afternoon.

Well can l just say, all of you who attack Clive Palmer and/or the Palmer United Party based upon what you read online or in newspapers you most certainly do have the “Blinkers On” because you are falling for the headlines and missing many of the relevant facts.

In 2010 we had Juliar Gillard famously tell Australia that there would be No Carbon Tax under the Government she leads. Then in 2013 we had Tony Abbott tell Australia there would be no cuts to education, no cuts to health, no cuts to the ABC or SBS, and no changes to pensions.

Well most of Australia has come to realise that both Juliar Gillard & Tony Abbott told us some pretty big fibs….. well actually let’s be honest and call them “LIES”

What l find interesting is the fact that these statements/promises were made to the Australian public (us voters) during election campaigns. That is to say “when the job was up for grabs” both Juliar Gillard & Tony Abbott took the opportunity to tell Australians what they most likely wanted to hear. Thereby causing most Australians to believe those statements and ultimately influence our vote.

Our vote is what gave Julliar Gillard the top job in 2010 and our vote gave Tony Abbott the position in 2013.

If the position of Prime Minister can be won by making statements that are not followed through, then perhaps it is acceptable for the rest of us to do as our Prime Ministers (recently) seem to do.

Perhaps falsify your resume, make yourself look much more worthy and valuable by adding a few falsehoods. Tell your potential Employer anything that you think might help you win that job….. it dosn’t matter if you tell a few lies…. The unfair dismissal laws will help you keep that job once you have landed it.

Ok l am not being serious in the previous paragraph, but the point l am trying to make is “WHY” is it acceptable for anyone in public office, especially the top job of Prime Minister to tell the voters (the employers) such blatant lies?

I know many people are either Labor or Liberal through and through, but no matter what your political preference, surely we can not accept Juliar Gillard and now Tony Abbott breaking “MAJOR” election campaign promises and in doing so becoming Liars.

As some of you might have noticed l am proudly supporting the Palmer United Party in Victoria’s State Election. One of the reasons l am a PUP supporter is because l am sick and tired of the major political parties doing and saying what they like, with little regard for anyone or anything……..and zero regard for truth and honesty.

I hope my fellow Victorians will join me and others in voting PUP 1 for the Legislative Council. If the Palmer United Party can win enough seats in the Legislative Council they will be able to do the same as they have been doing in Canberra. PUP will ensure the Government is Fair, Balanced and Accountable.

 

As a 40 year old l need to go back some 25 plus years to when l first visited Sunbury as a teenager. My Aunt & Uncle who had lived in Glenroy for as long as l could remember had just purchased a lovely home in what seemed to be a quiet town, not too far from the City. Yes they brought a property in Sunbury.

Much has changed in the 25 or so years from when l first visited Sunbury. Some changes are for the better and no doubt there are some changes that many would consider not so favorably. While the residents of Sunbury would be better qualified than me to list all of the things that they like and dislike about the “Progress Of Sunbury” I must take this opportunity to have my own little whinge about something that l noticed when l last visited my Aunt in Sunbury a few months ago.

As usual l take the Calder Freeway and then head down Vineyard Road, it had been some time between my visits to Sunbury but it didn’t take long before l realised that there were at least 2 x new sets of traffic lights along Vineyard road…… I noticed these traffic lights because l got the red light at them both….. adding an extra 2 or 3 minutes to my trip.

The traffic lights frustrated me, but what frustrated me even more was the obvious “Reason” for these 2 x new sets of traffic lights. It was blatantly obvious that the first set of lights was put in to accommodate the traffic heading in and out of “Masters” while it was equally as obvious to me that the second set of lights was established to deal with the traffic heading in and out of “Bunnings”

Considering that Bunnings and Masters do offer very similar products and services i was left to question “Why” two home/hardware mega-stores should be allowed to open up virtually a few hundred metres apart from each other?

How does the Sunbury community benefit from having these two stores located so close to each other, and are the two sets of traffic lights worth it?

Perhaps it would be beneficial to the Sunbury community to have a Bunnings and a Masters within close proximity, but if they had of been situated a few kilometres apart, it would have given people the option of driving to the nearest store and thus reducing the traffic caused by people all attending (either store) on Vineyard road.

When we residents want to erect a shed/garage in our backyard or wish to extend our home or do almost anything on our properties we often find that local laws are very restrictive and often cause residents to jump through hoops or simply “give up” on certain plans. Yet somehow these big corporates are able to do as they please with little regard for how it may negatively impact on the residents of a particular community. Yes l agree that both Bunnings and Masters would have had to go through certain processes in order to set up their mega stores……… but from my point of view l would have thought that who ever was second in line would have and should have been blocked from setting up a “Mega Shop” so close to a store offering almost the same products, services and often pricing.

Personally l have become totally fed up with the way our Government (Local, State & Federal) all seem to look after big business and fail to fully consider the needs and circumstances of “Everyday Australians” For these reasons l have turned my faith and pinned my hopes on The Palmer United Party. I truly believe that PUP will stand up for everyday Australians and l believe that our voices will be heard and our concerns will be acted upon under a government for which Palmer United has the balance of power.

Remember the saying “If you do as you have always done, you will get what you have always got” If we vote in a Labor Government who has full control, we are voting in a government who are overly influenced by unions and who have a terrible track record when it comes to the States Finances….. If we do the opposite and vote in an LNP Government who has full control we will end up with the same crap that we have had for the previous 4 x years. If we can have either a LNP or a Labor government who are forced to work with PUP we will get a much fairer, accountable and balanced government who will have to consider the needs of all Victorians.

Trevor Dance is a Palmer United Candidate who is standing for the Legislative Council in the Western Metropolitan Region. I have read a number of press releases of Trevor’s and l suggest the residents of Sunbury and the people within the Western Metropolitan Region take a few minutes to understand the things that Trevor Dance will stand for.

Come Saturday 29th of November l will be voting for PUP in the Legislative Council and l hope many of my fellow Victorians will do the same.

To read a little more about Trevor Dance and what he and the Palmer United Party will stand for please read the press release at this link ->https://www.facebook.com/PalmerUnitedPartyVictoria/photos/a.156248611238779.1073741828.149879595209014/299023440294628/?type=1&theater

Trevor Dance for Avenue Of Honour in Sunbury! Here is a link well worth reading-> https://www.facebook.com/PalmerUnitedPartyVictoria/photos/a.156248611238779.1073741828.149879595209014/299023056961333/?type=1&theater

Trevor Dance for better Infrastructure for Sunbury! Here is a link well worth reading -> https://www.facebook.com/PalmerUnitedPartyVictoria/photos/a.156248611238779.1073741828.149879595209014/299023186961320/?type=1&theater

The above post is based upon my opinion and memory only and has been authorised by myself, Peter Charleton 1927 Melba Hwy Dixons Creek 3775

I just wanted to share a Press Release with our readers to promote the fact that Hans Paas (Palmer United Candidate) is a true car enthusiast who has similar interests to those who enjoy their hot rods and classic cars. Hans Paas has terrific credentials to represent all of Victoria very well and shall do an excellent job should he be successful in his bid for Northern Victoria Region at next weeks state election.

Press Release is copied/pasted directly below

PUP Candidate makes bid for Motor Enthusiast Vote.

“Northern Victoria Region Palmer United Party candidate Hans Paas says that as a member of the Legislative Council he will also be a representative for motor enthusiasts.”

“The ‘old car movement’ has an important social role to play that should be encouraged and supported by government. The introduction of the revised red plate scheme has led to hundreds, if not thousands of historic vehicles being dragged out of sheds and put back on the road.”

“I bought my first classic car, a Humber, in 1975 and have had at least one classic in the garage ever since. I currently have three such vehicles with two on red plates and am a member of three historic vehicle clubs.”

“Though I am a little biased, I concede that other recreational vehicles have their place too- commercial vehicles, trucks, caravans and of course hot rods. Castlemaine, where I live is recognised as the Hot Rod Capital of Australia.”

“Just as motor enthusiasts have a Senator in Ricky Muir, I will be seeking to represent the Victorians who restore and maintain historic and speciality vehicles as a leisure-time pursuit along with my other responsibilities as a Palmer United parliamentarian.”

“By voting 1 Palmer United in the Legislative Council Victorian motor enthusiasts will have a voice in their Parliament,” Mr Paas concluded.

For more information: Hans Paas 0419349269

Like many Australians, l do watch a reasonable amount of television and read a few newspapers. I can not help but notice that it seems there is a strong bias against Clive Palmer – Palmer United Party.

I do not understand why the media is seemingly so biased as l struggle to find any factual and worthwhile reason for this to be the case….. other than the likelihood of Rupert Murdoch being “anti” Clive Palmer and therefore anti Palmer United Party.

There are some in the community who do not like Clive simply because he is a very wealthy individual……. but then again so to is Rupert Murdoch and if/when you are negative towards Clive Palmer and/or the Palmer United Party you are in fact supporting the objective of Rupert Murdoch.

Much of the media is owned or controlled by Rupert Murdoch and l guess that is probably the reason for most media outlets being negative or overly critical of Clive Palmer and the PUP…….. some people may be too afraid of losing their jobs and it is far easier to simply do what the boss wants you to do.

Well as voters we do not have to worry about Rupert Murdoch (or anyone else for that matter) sacking us. We have the right to vote for whom ever we feel best deserves our vote.  Depending on ones situation, upbringing, personal circumstances and many other factors it may well be that some voters are either Labor or Liberal through and through….. or Green for that matter.

When you cast your vote at the upcoming Victorian State Election you are free to do as you please, but l hope you are able to make a decision for yourself without being overly influenced by biased media coverage.

If (like me) you vote for PUP in the legislative council you will be voting for a common sense “gate keeper” as the Palmer United Party is aiming to hold the balance of power in the Legislative Council to ensure that who ever wins the election has to negotiate legislation through the Palmer United Party.

Ohh and keep in mind that it is only the PUP on a federal level who has restricted Tony Abbott and the LNP from destroying the lives of many Australians with many of the cuts and broken promises being blocked as a direct result of the Palmer United Party and their stance on “Decency, Integrity and Common Sense”

Authorised by Peter Charleton 1927 Melba Highway Dixons Creek 3775

On the 1st of July 2014 the National Fairwork Comission reviewed and granted a 3% wage rise for those on the minimum wage. This equates to $18.70 extra per week. Yippeeee !!! (or perhaps not)

I didn’t need a calculator to work out the yearly pay increase is about $972.40 PER YEAR….. The reason l did not need a calculator is quite simply because we are working with such small numbers.

Considering a packet of smokes just went up by between $1.12 and $2.81 a packet. If you smoke a pack a day (as many do) you are looking at a weekly additional cost of at least $7.84

Petrol prices are always bouncing around, but always end up higher even though the price of oil (per barrel) may be at a 4 year low. But let’s be “VERY” conservative and say petrol goes up on average by 5 cents per year. If you buy 20 litres a week that’s another Dollar you will have lost fuel to price hikes (and who only needs 20 litres a week) many of us go through 20 litres of fuel in one day.

Electricity has seemingly been going up and up and up for quite some time….. and if you are in Queensland you would have seen an increase of about 13.5% this year. If your average electricity bill was $300 a quarter (again very modest) you will have seen it rise to about $340 per quarter which is an extra $13,50 per month or $162.00 per year

Above are just a few common and easily discussed goods/services which have risen in price this year. Obviously just about everything we eat, drink, use and/or rely upon is going up in cost all of the time…. It dosnt take too long to realise that a pay increase of $972.40 per year for those on the minimum wage is never going to be enough to get ahead….. Sorry to disappoint but those on minimal wages are just falling further and further behind.

Ok giving up smokes would help the weekly budget and also be much better for your own health, but no one should be forced to leave the heater off in winter simply because they can not afford to turn it on