Whooohooo, new record for our $.

[Mick D]

One prime AU hits new record of US$1.0397, during the night.

                       

[mx250]

Good for us Ebaying hobbyist but not good for Manufacturing Industry or exporters .

[Mick D]

AU $1 = US $1.0402

[VMX247]

but not good for  or exporters .

Its the off shore owners that need a good slappin from our Government--rules need to change on Tax's...with 80 bill going out of our state in the North West and sweet stuff all staying here..then there is carbon tax,,sorry to sound depressing but the little fellow with small rug rats earning under 50G is hurting..the rich are getting richer.

OK,so who wants to import some SWM into Oz 
cheers A

[STW996]

Yes I had to pay for some goods late last week with the dollar at 103 and the amount was 250 US, on the paypal notice is was 249.35 AUS dollars.

Hear where you are coming from Alison, we are also being hurt by the China (fabricated) steel imports. People are buy from China galvanised fabricated steel for less than what our costs are for the steel + galvanising

Will only get worst before better.

[vmx42]

…rules need to change on Tax's...with 80 bill going out of our state in the North West and sweet stuff all staying here..

I seem to remember that they tried to do just that, but a few Billionaires seemed a little bit upset so it got watered down.

…then there is carbon tax, sorry to sound depressing but the little fellow with small rug rats earning under 50G is hurting..the rich are getting richer.

Pretty hard to blame a tax that doesn't even exist yet.

And as for the little bloke on 50K with a few small rug rats - I can certainly sympathise with individuals but a low wage earner with  family is always [and has always] done it harder than most. But all this talk about rampant cost increases is just a load of old cobblers.

The CPI hasn't fluctuated at all in the last few years - all this talk of electricity prices just gets people upset when there has obviously been a significant reduction in other costs to keep the CPI at the Reserves target rate. It's just canon fodder for the media and a good beatup.

[VMX247]

quote:The CPI hasn't fluctuated at all in the last few years - all this talk of electricity prices just gets people upset when there has obviously been a significant reduction in other costs to keep the CPI at the Reserves target rate. It's just canon fodder for the media and a good beatup.

No offence vmx42-this is depending of course if you are offering your opinion from a personal perspective or a work one..But I'd like to invite you to do a few shifts in the Heatlh industry in West Aust     Have you a link to CPI .thanks in advance. 
cheers A

[vmx42]

HI Alision,
Don't worry I am not taking offence, it is only a discussion, nothing personal here at all. The CPI data you were asking about it available here: http://www.rateinflation.com/inflation-rate/australia-inflation-rate.php

As for the Health Industry in WA - no I don't have an opinion, but these kind of discussions assume that we are talking about 'average' situations. It isn't constructive to talk about specific, individual instances in general discussions, that type of discussion will never go anywhere but around in ever decreasing circles.

At every period of history there are industries or professions that are either in decline or ascendency due to changes in technology, demand or social pressures. In my working lifetime I have seen at least a dozen professions in my industry completely disappear. Is that fair? Well no. Is that reality, then unfortunately Yes. Can it be stopped, no I doubt it.

I am very aware that there is a significant section of the Australian community 'doing it tough' as our politicians call it [during an election cycle], but the assumption that they are doing it tougher than in other times during our history is just that - an assumption. How do we as a society deal with that? I am not really sure, but the people seem to believe that we are currently over taxed and the vitriol directed at a political party who even remotely dares to suggest that we [the Australian people] might have to pay extra to fix a problem is robust in the extreme.

It seems that political discussion in this country has taken a very Black and White turn where the discussion is dispensed with while the punters take opposite sides and hurl abuse at each other instead. With this kind of short sighted, narrow minded attitude we really will be in trouble. And I thought we were a mature democracy…

As for taking a few shifts in the WA Health Industry - I am not sure what you mean. Happy to compare working hours etc, but I don't know what that will achieve. As a salary earner I was never well paid, I had to start my own business to make any money.

So for the purpose of this discussion, I have tried to answer your questions so I would appreciate it if you respond to mine. Back to you…

Have a good one,
VMX42

[VMX247]

As for the Health Industry in WA - no I don't have an opinion, but these kind of discussions assume that we are talking about 'average' situations. It isn't constructive to talk about specific, individual instances in general discussions, that type of discussion will never go anywhere but around in ever decreasing circles.
Ahh true !! but on a forum specific and individual discussions can be deleted as quick as a flash.   
I understnd were your coming from and its best left till your face to face or standing up in parliament.Here in our country town we have a very good and approachable relationship with our MLA and he works very hard to have a go for the next bloke..had the same down to earth MLA in the Goldfields,,somewhere it gets lost down the road,I suppose my grip is with those at the top misssing the whole picture for the little bloke.
seen at least a dozen professions in my industry completely disappear. yes and isnt that changing,its as fast as the new people coming into the country. ??

As for taking a few shifts in the WA Health Industry - I am not sure what you mean. Happy to compare working hours etc, but I don't know what that will achieve. As a salary earner I was never well paid, I had to start my own business to make any money. Not the hours so much as the rate of pay, 22 for Nurses and 17 for Carers,why wouldnt you head to mining while the aus $$ is bouncing along--some wages are just not right..more money in digging holes for minerals than older folks care.Ahh its the love though,thats why we stay   

Nothing really construtive there, but hey!! its a forum after all...oh well back to read the HL saga   
cheers A

Have just had a look  the CPI site and had a laugh, that its linked to the Bureau of Stats which I know people dont answer the questions and census night right,  ...but then you couldn't possibly expect to get all the people of Oz to be honest Johnny's.
Interesting to note by 2021 20% of us are going to be 65 yeras and over..
http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/[email protected]/Lookup/4102.0Main+Features10Mar+2011
and if you vmx42 move to Ireland and I to Japan(dont comment  ) we will live longer according to 2009 stats 

[oldfart]

Love the buying power it has over the USD  exchange rate 

[suzuki43]

Yes I had to pay for some goods late last week with the dollar at 103 and the amount was 250 US, on the paypal notice is was 249.35 AUS dollars.

Hear where you are coming from Alison, we are also being hurt by the China (fabricated) steel imports. People are buy from China galvanised fabricated steel for less than what our costs are for the steel + galvanising

Will only get worst before better.

You'll be right Shano,that Chinese steel is rubbish.Stick with that good Onesteel Ausie made stuff and you will be fine.
I say enjoy the strong dollar while you can,my poor old Ebay account is loving it!

[Mike52]

You'll be right Shano,that Chinese steel is rubbish.Stick with that good Onesteel Ausie made stuff and you will be fine.
I say enjoy the strong dollar while you can,my poor old Ebay account is loving it!

That blue paint the chinese use on their steel.
Is it made out of horses hooves?
Cause it shore smells like it when you weld the stuff.

[pancho]

 One of the big problems I see with OZ v the 'rest of the world' in trade and other things is that OZ plays by the rules where others say they do and then cheat or in the case of USA the dont even play by the rules. [rural subsidies]
 Take the Chinese currency, they have artificially kept there currency value down to a ludicrus level to boost there overseas export trade and to stop any imports. Meanwhile here is OZ trading on the world market with minimum protection, mostly none!
 The high $OZ really is only that way because the $US has been based on bullshit for years and to me the fact that world trade is all in $US is nuts.
 Lots of steel work manufactured in China for heavier engineering apparently turns up with major quality problems but buyers of this crap find out too late 'cause the local manufacturers who have been abandoned have gone belly up.
 So buy up big of the bike bits and pieces while it lasts [only small potatoes in the scheme of things], but those clowns in suits who don't check the QA of imported steelwork are sending us down the gurglar.
 cheers pancho.

[motomaniac]

One of the big problems I see with OZ v the 'rest of the world' in trade and other things is that OZ plays by the rules where others say they do and then cheat or in the case of USA the dont even play by the rules. [rural subsidies]
 Take the Chinese currency, they have artificially kept there currency value down to a ludicrus level to boost there overseas export trade and to stop any imports. Meanwhile here is OZ trading on the world market with minimum protection, mostly none!
 The high $OZ really is only that way because the $US has been based on bullshit for years and to me the fact that world trade is all in $US is nuts.

Panch the Chinese currency is tagged to the US $ and so moves up and down with it .The Australian $ was also tagged to the US $ until 1983 when we floated our currency on the world market
( under the Hawke ,Keating gov ). Our $ is going up right now because almost everyone else is deliberately trying to devalue whilst we do nothing.

[pancho]

 Like I said, we're trading with a bunch of cheats. More proof that the Australian cringe is still with us, even though I believe we are starting to mature as a nation, plus partly with thanks to immigration our nation is learning to stop 'tugging the forlock' to our "superiors"
 cheers