Well Don, that is how the world works. Do you expect the brilliant and resourceful to be held back just so the less so feel better. I am nowhere near as right wing as RTT is but I believe those with better abilities should be rewarded.

It's not about holding back successful people, its about the fact that some people look for any opportunity to rag on others in society as being lazy, not enterprising or somehow deficient because they don't have money or jobs.

Public transport
Regional public transport
Universal health care
Social welfare
etc
Are usually not the traits of the Right wing, more centralist.

Don, you are in suburban Adelaide which is not really the centre of the Australian economy, some would say the opposite. Hence those outside the welfare dependent state may have different views on how the world and Australia works and going.

The Australian economy is not the best its been, but its very far from the worst and yes a balancing act to stop it falling into recession which has been the case since end of mining boom.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Australia as a nation mostly pi$$ed the mining boom income up against the wall. Another poster mentioned the great unwashed to middle class just spent their extra short lived income at Harvey's, alcohol, V8's and overseas holidays. The bulk of the Australian state and fed govt's went on borrowing spree. Little Johnny used it to pay off the govt's debt, start the future fund and balance the budget, but then left the following govts no less income once the mining income slowed. Yes at the time and now, I would have preferred the extra cash be dumped into the Future Fund. I also believe the states should be forced to invest mining royalties in sovereign wealth funds, not consuladated revenue.

In Canada and some other like nations, the answer to the correction was simple, recession. A recession is always a good equaliser that lest people know what really looking for a job is about and how to count your pennies. We now have not had mass unemployment since 1991. Sorry 6% of today is not mass unemployment. Do you remember the job queue's back in the early 90's? 4000 for jobs at Toyota spread word of mouth only.

Yes the local economy has changed, some have left, some have scaled down,  but many have been replaced. If not what the hell are all these migrants working as? Why is that upper middle class now use domestic services etc like never before? Why is the new car industry still booming along? All the signs are there much of the economy has cash or at least credit in their pockets. Just because you don't see a smoke stack doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

Yes there are pools of graduates finding it tough, its hardly new, its happened before and it will happen again. The education sector is not directly linked to the economy for numerous reasons, one is time lag. And yes if you cannot find a job locally, look nationally and if still no good look internationally. Those who spent 4 years studying their arses off will not wait for a job to come to them. Most of my cousins kids who are graduating in recent times by and large are finding work, sometimes they do what ever and then keep looking then get their more desired job within 6mths or so.

On the Down side
The power sector price hikes in recent years are a classic sign the states have learnt nothing when it comes to hands privatisation. They screwed up on rail privatisation and they screwed up again on power. However rather than the states who didn't go down this mass power sector privatisation and subsequent closure of coal power stations saying look we are still open to industry and affordable living for our citizens, Qld and Tas (note ALP, but LNP won't have changed a thing) govts are raking in the profits and killing their industry from elevated wholesale power prices driven mostly by Vic and SA. We could and should be rebuilding/moderising our manufacturing industry after the damage caused by explosive wage rises and Aus$, but no, we are screwing them with the world's most expensive power and gas, if you can buy it!

At least for now, the power prices in SA and Qld seem to have turned and at least 10% lower this year than last years record highs. NSW is struggling and Vic is really missing HAzellwood.

Rant over!