[Durin's Bane]

We do get screwed over here in many ways, car pricing being just one area.

Unfortunately there are many drawbacks to being an aspirational person in Oz. We live in the tall poppy hating capital of the world. Anyone who is perceived as successful is considered a w###er or d###head.

Anyone ever read the numerous reports on our Diaspora back in 2003 or 2004? The Liberals were trying to determine why 5% of our population live overseas and most never come back. And back then the number was increasing year by year. Interestingly enough, "tall poppy syndrome" was one factor, along with:

- High taxes
- Minimal benefits
- No recognition of post graduate education, or tertiary education in general
- Size and scale of work and projects
- Prestige of location
- Etc.

Personally if the resources boom hadn’t come along I would have transferred to Asia or the Middle East. My former colleagues and numerous relatives who work as expatriates in places like Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore etc aren't complaining with their "lifestyle" one bit.

I won't comment on unions other than to say that having worked in Construction and Mining I have first hand experience of how despicable they are, and how lazy their reps are as well.

And I still can't believe people in NSW have been voting for Labor for 15 years...

End of mini rant!