Australia's Inequality

Its not a 'class issue'
Its not a left wing socialist plot
Its not us versus them envy
Its real
Its inequality in Australia

Its so bloody obvious and will become more obvious as our children become disenfranchised in housing, education and health.
It has to stop.

Read these reports if you don't believe me!

• Oxfam Report  found https://www.oxfam.org.au/2014/01/rapidly-growing-inequality-is-worsening-poverty-around-the-world/
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• Still the Lucky Country?  Also by Oxfam 
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• Advance Australia Fair?What to do about growing inequality in Australia. By the Australia Institute 2014

Read Joseph Stiglitz " The Price of Inequality" at a library near you.
A public Library that tries to reduce the effect of inequality.

Queensland water tanks and solar hot water

Yesterday's Financial Review newspaper alerted me to yet another Queensland State Government anti-environment decision. That of dismantling previous Labor government policy in regard to installation of water tanks and solar hot water heaters (pg 11).
It seems the poor people of Queensland will not now be obliged to install these environmental saving devices when building new homes. Unlike in Victoria where a 6 Star Energy Rating is applied to all new homes and extensions, including a requirement for solar water system or rainwater tank.
Queensland customers can now choose!
Solarhart advertises the previous building requirements as such "Under the Standard Building Regulations (SBR) sustainability measures have been introduced which are expected to reduce energy use in new houses by 33 percent and reduce water use by up to 36 percent. "
So a saving of approx $5000 when building a house (in Queensland) can mean the loss of several 10's of years free hot-water and rain water, as well as the opportunity to improve our building stock. In one of the sunniest and water poor nations on our groaning planet.
Such is the power of choice.
Of course this change assumes that by enabling free choice the individuals concerned know enough to choose. Not necessarily a given in my humble opinion. Or that the $5000 saved can be retrofitted later. It will be interesting to see how much Queensland will lag in numbers fitting these devices in a few years time.

Perhaps the Queensland State Government will remove the requirement for other regulations that have been introduced for "the common good" and continue to back business interests. Makes my reading of Joseph Stiglitz' book "the Price of Inequality" even more relevant.

Nanny State vs Free Market: My Reading Diary

Topics of conversation and ABC reporting recently include Pauline Hansen not getting into the NSW Senate with 2% of the vote, the Clubs & Gambling people screaming against Andrew Wilkie's proposal to attempt to control problem gambling and the on-going crises in Japan with the nuclear facility at Fukushima. News that Portugal's economy needs bailing out, the rise of the Aussie $ compared to the sinking of the US $ and other financial woes including the Resource Rent Tax and Carbon Tax are simmering away sometimes making the headlines, sometimes not.
Is this symptomatic of the conflict with the "Nanny" State ie large, interventionist, regulatory Government telling the business world that they must control their behaviour to enable social needs of equality, social support, and  long-term environmental improvement? This website says yes!
Or are the forces of business - endless growth, consumerism, jobs at any cost to environment or social needs gaining the upper hand again after a brief lull with the GFC? (hands out and begging)
My reading this month has included Joseph Stiglitz "Freefall: America, Free Markets, and the Sinking of the World Economy", Loretta Napoleoni's" Rogue Economics", Andrew Leigh's "Disconnected", "History's Greatest Deceptions" by Eric Chaline.
As the New York Times article on Joseph Stiglitz book comments "ersatz capitalism, the privatizing of gains and the socializing of losses". 
Books can give a larger view of whats happening  than a 3 minute TV news clip, 1 page internet link or 5 minute radio interview. What do you think?