# What don't you like about Australia?



## It's Snake Pliskin (24 August 2006)

There seems to be a lot of negativity towards Australia and Australians, even by Australians. What are your thoughts about politics, culture (yes we do have one), language, cities, TV etc...


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## doctorj (24 August 2006)

*Re: What don`t you like about Australia?*

I love Australia, I just don't love it blindly and I don't always agree with things done in our name.  We should all strive to improve ourselves as a country critically assessing our actions is part of that.


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## Julia (24 August 2006)

*Re: What don`t you like about Australia?*



			
				Snake Pliskin said:
			
		

> There seems to be a lot of negativity towards Australia and Australians, even by Australians. What are your thoughts about politics, culture (yes we do have one), language, cities, TV etc...




Top of my dislike list are all the dangerous and annoying insects - nasty spiders, invisible stonefish, tiny killer jellyfish, and those ****** mosquitoes.
I guess these  are not much of a problem in the southern states.

And then there's the constant worry about water.  The most basic stuff of our existence and there's not enough of it.  Whether this problem could have been ameliorated with better planning by governments is not a matter for this thread.

And then there is to my way of thinking a lack of care towards one's fellow citizens, little thoughtfulness or simple kindness.  Instead I continually see a competitive stance in so many people and an unreasonable focus on material accumulation.  I've just never really understood the need for "oneupmanship".
This aligns to the well known "tall poppy syndrome".  

Ah, but the weather in Queensland is so wonderful.

Julia


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## Realist (24 August 2006)

*Re: What don`t you like about Australia?*

The biggest concern is that 75% of the contents of the average meat pie, is not meat.   

Stamp duties and taxes and house prices are a problem as well.


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## visual (24 August 2006)

*Re: What don`t you like about Australia?*

I don`t like about Australia  the fact that there are no Australians in Australia,except for those who cant remember far enough to claim some ethnicity.
Let me explain,my husband was born here,yet he is Italian,my children were born here yet they are referred as being Italian.Also let me make it absolutely clear I`m absolutely not ashamed of being Italian,yet I can`t see how my children would qualify.
On my last trip to Italy my uncle heard me refer to myself as being Italian,he was incredulous,how can someone who left 30 years ago still refer to herself as being Italian,what kind of country is Australia that you still consider yourself  Italian.He asked.
My son will argue with me that his teacher told him that he is what he is  but what about where you were born,the passport you use to travel,what does that determine,my nationality, was his reply,so now I`m confused.
And this started at kinder,they started kinder as Australians but came home Italians.
As an Italian I can tell you that each region has got it`s own distinct culture,food,way of doing things ,so in effect saying to the kids,thats how its done in Italy is talking utter rubbish.And this doesnt just apply to Italians,I`m using Italians as an example for obvious reasons.

Aistralian kids seem not to be getting this opportunity to establish or grow their own cultural identity,certainly I`d say since that word multiculturalism was introduced into the vocabulary.So instead of blending everyone in togheter ,people are being divided along lines that don`t exist.Italians living in Australia are so different compared to the Italians living in Italy almost to the point of being considered aliens.


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## Blitzed (24 August 2006)

*Re: What don`t you like about Australia?*

That balloon head "David Koch"! ( and that bird on channel 9 in the mornings that has a face like this   even when she is talking about something serious.
The saying "It's just not the Austrrraaalian way!!!......when it is.
The fact that they can take poo, vomit    and bleach etc out of our water and want us to drink it but they can't take the salt from our sea water to use it. (or am I mistaken?)   The thought of drinking filtered sea water just goes down a bit better.


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## Realist (24 August 2006)

*Re: What don`t you like about Australia?*



			
				visual said:
			
		

> I don`t like about Australia  the fact that there are no Australians in Australia,except for those who cant remember far enough to claim some ethnicity.
> Let me explain,my husband was born here,yet he is Italian,my children were born here yet they are referred as being Italian.Also let me make it absolutely clear I`m absolutely not ashamed of being Italian,yet I can`t see how my children would qualify.
> On my last trip to Italy my uncle heard me refer to myself as being Italian,he was incredulous,how can someone who left 30 years ago still refer to herself as being Italian,what kind of country is Australia that you still consider yourself  Italian.He asked.
> My son will argue with me that his teacher told him that he is what he is  but what about where you were born,the passport you use to travel,what does that determine,my nationality, was his reply,so now I`m confused.
> ...





 

ahh that aint a problem with Australia, that is a problem with Italians..     

It is the same with Italians in the US and elsewhere... 

They make good pasta and pizza though, so I'll let them off.  Although good pizza always has pineapple on it!!


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## Realist (24 August 2006)

*Re: What don`t you like about Australia?*



			
				Blitzed said:
			
		

> That balloon head "David Koch"! ( and that bird on channel 9 in the mornings that has a face like this   even when she is talking about something serious.
> The saying "It's just not the Austrrraaalian way!!!......when it is.
> The fact that they can take poo, vomit    and bleach etc out of our water and want us to drink it but they can't take the salt from our sea water to use it. (or am I mistaken?)   The thought of drinking filtered sea water just goes down a bit better.





Yes Australian 'D' grade tv celebrities are nothing short of embarassing.      

So are aussie tv shows like Today Tonight, The Today show, Mel and baldies breakfast, A Current Affair, Dancing on ice, etc.

There are some good Aussie comedies though like Kath and Kim, The Chaser, and Ray Martin and the bimbo that hosts Today tonight is also good to laugh at.


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## tech/a (24 August 2006)

*Re: What don`t you like about Australia?*

After seeing a fair bit of the rest of the World.

Give me HOME any day.


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## rub92me (24 August 2006)

*Re: What don`t you like about Australia?*

Politics: very entertaining. Culture: I was born and grew up in Europe. Can't say I know much about aboriginal culture (still reading up), recent culture seems to be following what happens everywhere else, albeit a bit late... Language: Love some of the typical Australian expressions. Cities: Most livable in the world. Sure they have some problems, but small fries compared to what goes on in US, SA and Europe for instance. TV: Mostly crap, so hardly watch it.


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## the_godfather4 (24 August 2006)

*Re: What don`t you like about Australia?*



			
				Blitzed said:
			
		

> The saying "It's just not the Austrrraaalian way!!!......when it is.




That's by far my biggest grievance......when I hear them say that's "unAustralian"...It almost implies an arrogance that only other nationalities do stupid things but not Aussies......apart from that (oh and Cronulla : ) I love this country


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## visual (24 August 2006)

*Re: What don`t you like about Australia?*



			
				Realist said:
			
		

> ahh that aint a problem with Australia, that is a problem with Italians..
> 
> It is the same with Italians in the US and elsewhere...
> 
> They make good pasta and pizza though, so I'll let them off.  Although good pizza always has pineapple on it!!





Ah,Realist wrong!yes in America Italians 4 generations back are referred as Italians ,and probably in other places too.But you`d have a point if Italians referred to people they exported as their own ,they don`t,also other countries don`t.
If Italians go to Italy they are referred to as Australians,see Italians don`t have any need to keep referreing to us as their own,they`ve moved on.It is the people who left who having been unable to blend in and this is going to be a long discussion if we get into it.Still refer to themselves as something that really they are not.
By the way ,do you realise that what you consider pizza ,doesnt actually exist in Italy,and did you know the Bolognese ,people from Bologna ,don`t know why sauce with meat is referred to as Bolognese sauce.A sauce tecnically named after their city.


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## Realist (24 August 2006)

*Re: What don`t you like about Australia?*



			
				visual said:
			
		

> Ah,Realist wrong!yes in America Italians 4 generations back are referred as Italians ,and probably in other places too.But you`d have a point if Italians referred to people they exported as their own ,they don`t,also other countries don`t.
> If Italians go to Italy they are referred to as Australians,see Italians don`t have any need to keep referreing to us as their own,they`ve moved on.It is the people who left who having been unable to blend in and this is going to be a long discussion if we get into it.Still refer to themselves as something that really they are not.
> By the way ,do you realise that what you consider pizza ,doesnt actually exist in Italy,and did you know the Bolognese ,people from Bologna ,don`t know why sauce with meat is referred to as Bolognese sauce.A sauce tecnically named after their city.





Agreed.

But it was not the Italians in Italy I was talking about. 

And yeah I know about pizza, that pineapple thing was just a bit of fishing...


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## Ageo (24 August 2006)

*Re: What don`t you like about Australia?*



			
				visual said:
			
		

> Ah,Realist wrong!yes in America Italians 4 generations back are referred as Italians ,and probably in other places too.But you`d have a point if Italians referred to people they exported as their own ,they don`t,also other countries don`t.
> If Italians go to Italy they are referred to as Australians,see Italians don`t have any need to keep referreing to us as their own,they`ve moved on.It is the people who left who having been unable to blend in and this is going to be a long discussion if we get into it.Still refer to themselves as something that really they are not.
> By the way ,do you realise that what you consider pizza ,doesnt actually exist in Italy,and did you know the Bolognese ,people from Bologna ,don`t know why sauce with meat is referred to as Bolognese sauce.A sauce tecnically named after their city.





My parents are migrants of Italy. I love the culture, food, language and many more things, of course its natural being brought up in a multicultural area (western Sydney) that you say your Italian, but in the World Cup i wanted Australia to beat Italy as this is my country. But i dont neglect the italian way of life, as it has many positives to embrace.

But true to my heart im Australian and it is a fine country.

What annoys me is calling yourself a nationality and not knowing even how to speak the language


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## dr00 (24 August 2006)

*Re: What don`t you like about Australia?*

i dont like the way we as a nation deal with aboriginals. positive discrimination is still discrimination.

i also hate the spiders and the hot weather. gimme a nice grey raining day over 35deg any day!!

and footy is crap! :


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## juddy (24 August 2006)

*Re: What don`t you like about Australia?*

the three week break in between the footy and cricket season. They should overlap.


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## nioka (24 August 2006)

*Re: What don`t you like about Australia?*

I had a pommy friend in the Air Force years ago who said that Capt Cook found the best place in the world when found Australia. He also said it is a pity he told so many aussies about it. ???????????????/


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## nioka (24 August 2006)

*Re: What don`t you like about Australia?*



			
				juddy said:
			
		

> the three week break in between the footy and cricket season. They should overlap.




And I thought they did.


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## juddy (24 August 2006)

*Re: What don`t you like about Australia?*

the cricket season runs into the footy season, but not the other way around unfortunately. Can't wait for the Ashes.


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## Rafa (24 August 2006)

*Re: What don`t you like about Australia?*

agree with tech...
after travelling the world you realise what a great place Australia is to live in... (even little old Adelaide scrubs up well...)

So the answer is i hate nothing about Australia...


Few Australians not too keen on tho... few politicians, few greedy corporate executives who have forgotten what it is to be Australian....

And certainly not a big fan of the media either... there are a joke, self indulgent, and try to turn themselves into heroes and minor celebrities without any substance... and Australian TV drama... that is real bad!!!


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## Ants (24 August 2006)

*Re: What don`t you like about Australia?*

Whats wrong with Australia?

TOO MANY POMS. **** OFF BACK TO $HITS VILLE. NIce enough people . I just dont want you's ruining MY culture ie watering it back down with boring english minutae. That goes for every overbearing culture from somewhere else . Im trying to make australia unique for people like me and others who dont have any where else. This double nationality stuff is just "have yr cake and eat it too" stuff.

 2nd. Aussies fear of MINORITY cultural benefits and obsession with MAINSTREAM, BOUGHT UNREAL culture.


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## swingstar (24 August 2006)

*Re: What don`t you like about Australia?*

I'm not as 'proud' to be Australian as I once was. I don't know if it's just because I've gotten older or things have changed. After I see the world my feelings might change, but I'm not that big on Australia (or patriotism at all) anymore.


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## visual (24 August 2006)

*Re: What don`t you like about Australia?*



			
				Ageo said:
			
		

> My parents are migrants of Italy. I love the culture, food, language and many more things, of course its natural being brought up in a multicultural area (western Sydney) that you say your Italian, but in the World Cup i wanted Australia to beat Italy as this is my country. But i dont neglect the italian way of life, as it has many positives to embrace.
> 
> But true to my heart im Australian and it is a fine country.
> 
> What annoys me is calling yourself a nationality and not knowing even how to speak the language





Ageo,
I can totally understand what you are saying,but everything you love as Italian doesn`t actually exist in Italy.

And I agree ,ask anybody what they are and they`ll say this or that ,but they weren`t actually born there.One of my son`s friend informed me,that just because he was born here,he wasnt Australian!of course I informed him otherwise,and then waited for the phone call from his parents,they never rang by the way


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## kerosam (24 August 2006)

*Re: What don`t you like about Australia?*

nice thread....

1. The judicial system. Criminals get away easy... 1. distribute drugs, get caught and then go scot free cos the drug dealer pleads he is doing it to save up a deposit for a house for the family... 2. rape an innocent pre-teen girl, strangle her cold blooded and still have the option of being bail...no logic... i'm sure you guys can think of better ones... maybe i have a misconception of the meaning 'justice'.  

2. This state government is dodgy. 1. the OBE  2. cover up of a baby's death by the state dept of community development 3. don;t bother to memorise history dates, just google them... 4. forget the small players, look after the big ones (Rio Tinto vs CAZ)... no decent explanation or whatever from the govt.  

3. Property prices too darn expensive.

aaahhhh..... i'm feeling so much better


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## bowser (24 August 2006)

*Re: What don`t you like about Australia?*

I cant believe this thread, we sound like a bunch of wingeing poms.

If you dont like australia go live overseas for twelve months, you'll be back


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## x2rider (24 August 2006)

*Re: What don`t you like about Australia?*

AUSTRALIANS


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## Porper (24 August 2006)

*Re: What don`t you like about Australia?*



			
				Ants said:
			
		

> Whats wrong with Australia?
> 
> TOO MANY POMS. **** OFF BACK TO $HITS VILLE. .




To me the only thing wrong with Australia is people like you Ants.

Your comment above is not typical of Aussies luckily.You obviously have a deep rooted grudge against the English, maybe you should deal with it.If you are wondering, yes I am a Pom, and no, I do not live in Australia.I will be in Brisbane on holiday in a month though, so you best avoid the sunshine coast if you don't want to be around a Pom.


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## wayneL (24 August 2006)

*Re: What don`t you like about Australia?*

I like Australia. 

I hate the Americanized version of Australia.


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## Freeballinginawetsuit (24 August 2006)

*Re: What don`t you like about Australia?*



			
				tech/a said:
			
		

> After seeing a fair bit of the rest of the World.
> 
> Give me HOME any day.




2nd that, blessed indeed us Australians, lets hope all the shop signs still are in english in the years to come.


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## warney (24 August 2006)

*Re: What don`t you like about Australia?*



			
				x2rider said:
			
		

> AUSTRALIANS



hmmm, still upset about the underarm aye?


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## bvbfan (24 August 2006)

*Re: What don`t you like about Australia?*

The stupidity of Australians in blindly believing politicians. Time for a major change from the two party system that is screwing up this place.

Fed up with Liberals, Labor and the Democra*s 
Greens are too stuck to old fashioned ideas about things.



Oh and the underlying racism that is here


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## 3 veiws of a secret (24 August 2006)

*Re: What don`t you like about Australia?*



			
				bvbfan said:
			
		

> The stupidity of Australians in blindly believing politicians. Time for a major change from the two party system that is screwing up this place.
> 
> Fed up with Liberals, Labor and the Democra*s
> Greens are too stuck to old fashioned ideas about things.
> ...




Haaaaaaaaaaa so funny and I have'nt had my gin and tonic yet and it's 9.10 pm ! you sound like your stuck in Tasmania are you an anarchist?....as for the stupidity of Australians ,at least we never voted in Georgie Bush, unfortunately we got 2nd best a garden gnome called Johnny Howard.


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## 3 veiws of a secret (24 August 2006)

*Re: What don`t you like about Australia?*

1-Amanda Vanstone!
2-How the good looking bank teller girls always say "see you latter"!!!!!! 
3-A Current Affair
4-Flies attacking the lobster I'm eating & I paid for!
5-VB it sounds like VD.
6-Moccasins!!!!!!!!
7-Blokes that talk about Ford and Holden.
8-Terms like Bonza!
9-Modern homes made out of blueboard to look like they are solid rendered! 
10-Police baseball hats! just no style!


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## Julia (24 August 2006)

*Re: What don`t you like about Australia?*



			
				juddy said:
			
		

> the three week break in between the footy and cricket season. They should overlap.




Oh God, No.  There's too much of both already.

Julia


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## Rafa (24 August 2006)

*Re: What don`t you like about Australia?*

Hey Snake...
Since you started the thread.... whats your thoughts???


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## Ageo (24 August 2006)

*Re: What don`t you like about Australia?*



			
				visual said:
			
		

> Ageo,
> I can totally understand what you are saying,but everything you love as Italian doesn`t actually exist in Italy.





Hehe Visual are you sure? having lived there and been there several times and my mum just returning i have to say it very much exists.

Being from the south (Calabrian) many things that we practice today are still done (to perfection might i add) over there.

If anything the younger generation of italian background are losing the culture (making salami, cooking, speaking italian etc..).

Like i said there is nothing wrong with embracing the positives but remembering where your place is (Australia for me) is always a must. Its funny here im considered Italian but over there im a Kangaroo! hehe

P.S 1 good thing about Australia is that we dont have mafia like in Italy, and no its not as "cool" as "The Soprano's" makes it out to be (although i like the show). Having to pay "2" taxes if your a business owner of some sought (1 for the government 1 for the mafia) is not a great thing to have. So we are very lucky in many ways of the lifestyle we live.


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## Smurf1976 (24 August 2006)

*Re: What don`t you like about Australia?*

All things considered, Australia stacks up pretty well compared to the alternatives. That applies even to the less popular cities and towns.

But I do strongly dislike the absolute inability we seem to have developed in regard to thinking about anything in a long term sense.

For example, the water "shortage" in the cities is completely due to lack of proper planning and development and yet we hear constant propaganda, which many believe, saying it's unavoidable. Outright nonsense as far as the practical aspects of supplying water are concerned.

Or we hear that there's "nothing we can do" about petrol prices. Again, outright nonsense. That problems would arise was first established in the mid-1950's and proven, in principle at least, 20 years later. We had time to plan better public transport, not have a fleet of guzzlers etc. Meanwhile we sow the seeds of a future natural gas crisis seemingly without a care in the world.

Business culture focuses largely on short term profit and share price rather than building some sort of long term viable enterprise. Never mind that we could make $ billions tomorrow, we'd rather have just a few $ million today.

As I said, Australia does stack up pretty well compared to the alternatives. But we could be creating a much better situation for our future if we approached long term issues seriously enough rather than "we'll cross that bridge when we come to it".


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## visual (25 August 2006)

*Re: What don`t you like about Australia?*



			
				Ageo said:
			
		

> Hehe Visual are you sure? having lived there and been there several times and my mum just returning i have to say it very much exists.
> 
> Being from the south (Calabrian) many things that we practice today are still done (to perfection might i add) over there.
> 
> ...




Ageo,
I was referring to people who have been in Australia for 30 years and are still doing things like they were done then.And using the excuse that thats how it`s done in Italy.
As you yourselve said,the calabrian way,calabria is a region of Italy,it does not mean that how things are done in calabria is the Italian way,it`s a regional way,or local way but not necessarily representative of the  Italian way.
If you ask someone from another part of Italy he`ll have his own way of doing the same thing which may involve a totally different process,end up with a similar product but it will be done his way.Italian is a term used by people to group us togheter ,but over time Italian culture in Australia has become an homogenized version of the many different aspects that make it up.Which in Italy would be unreconazible.

Still the people of Italian background are  making choices as to wether they want to make sausages or other stuff why should that link either loss of culture or loss of ethnicity,think about it if anything they are helping to modify and adding to Australian culture.Imagine how they share the knowledge with the Vietnamese or Greek or whoever neighbours who may share some of their methods and so forth.


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## It's Snake Pliskin (25 August 2006)

*Re: What don`t you like about Australia?*



			
				Rafa said:
			
		

> Hey Snake...
> Since you started the thread.... whats your thoughts???




Thanks for your responses so far...Some good points have been made by many here.

1. The Labour Party, two party system, and the way people are elected - career politicians.
2. Racism by Australians towards immigrants and especially racism towards Australians by immigrants.
3. People who say they are, for eg. Italian, when they were born here.
4. Dole bludgers and immigrants seeking MONEY because the system hands it out.
5. The command of English. 
6. People believing the country should be handed back to the Aboriginals. (Actually in parts it has been, so no problem there) 
7. Overweight people. (not hate, but think they should think about the situation)
8. Terrible customer service.
9. State governments ripping the citizenry off. (Where has all the tax gone in NSW?)
10. The hospital system and health system in general. One has to wait months to see a specialist - weird.


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## yogi-in-oz (25 August 2006)

*Re: What don`t you like about Australia?*



			
				Julia said:
			
		

> And then there's the constant worry about water.  The most basic stuff of our existence and there's not enough of it.  Whether this problem could have been ameliorated with better planning by governments is not a matter for this thread.
> 
> And then there is to my way of thinking a lack of care towards one's fellow citizens, little thoughtfulness or simple kindness.
> 
> ...







Hi folks,

Two issues not on Snake's list, but opened by Julia above,
really do need some serious attention in Oz:

Truth is, we DO HAVE a huge established and RENEWABLE
fresh water supply, it just needs enough willpower by the 
Federal government to provide the impetus to develop the 
infrastucture for a water/gas distribution project, that will 
droughtproof Oz and complete the gas grid to all states .....

..... Reticulate Australia ... !~!

----

Second issue is the lack of care towards one's fellow citizens. 

It seems that Australia can afford many millions of dollars for 
overseas aid ..... yet, we are still content to see the mentally
ill and those afflicted with addictions, homeless and roaming 
the streets, causing a mountain of damage in their families 
and communities ..... truly disgusting.

have a great day

   yogi


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## Julia (25 August 2006)

*Re: What don`t you like about Australia?*

Yogi

Could you say some more about your suggestion re the water supply?

One aspect of this problem which infuriates me is that millions of megalitres pour from a constant fresh water source on Fraser Island (Qld coast) into the sea every day.  It would be a relatively simple matter to pipe this to the mainland.  But oh no, Fraser Island is heritage listed so nothing on it can be touched.    So stupid.

Julia


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## Rafa (25 August 2006)

*Re: What don`t you like about Australia?*



			
				Snake Pliskin said:
			
		

> 2. Racism by Australians towards immigrants and especially racism towards Australians by immigrants.
> ...
> 
> 8. Terrible customer service.





Agree with all your points, except the above two...

2. Racism is a natural instinct, certainly not an Australian problem

8. You haven't been to Portugal then...    . Actually, most of Southern Europe (latin countries)... Queing is non existent, he who shouts loudest gets served... and the service is abrupt and rude. Ironically, it wasn't just at order taking time... At a restaurant, we once waited half an hour to get the bill to pay!!! It was as if they couldn;t be bothered adding up the bill and wanted us to just leave!!! Gotta love it...


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## stink (25 August 2006)

*Re: What don`t you like about Australia?*

Our legal system!

dont care where it came from or why we use it, its rubbish!

The things i see people getting away with these days is just ridiculous.

Stink


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## NettAssets (25 August 2006)

*Re: What don`t you like about Australia?*



			
				Julia said:
			
		

> Yogi
> 
> Could you say some more about your suggestion re the water supply?
> 
> ...




I really think we have to be careful of calling these situations stupid.
We only have to look at the salinity problems that occured from damming our mainland rivers and do some research into the changes in marine habitat from cutting off a fresh water inflow to the ocean to realize that there are good reasons to let large volume of fresh water flow to sea. it is not neccessarily waste - it may be vital for our future
John


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## professor_frink (25 August 2006)

*Re: What don`t you like about Australia?*



			
				x2rider said:
			
		

> AUSTRALIANS





I use to work with a bunch of Kiwi's with that exact attitude  



> F*****g Australia- all it's good for is a paycheck, just ashame there are so many Australians here


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## x2rider (25 August 2006)

Re Fink and Warney

 I don't think anyone will forget the underarm incident . It has become part of sporting history . The same way that you guys stole Phar Lap from us and tried to claim the Pavlova for yourselves . As Our once prime minister , Rob Muldoon  said . "People who leave NZ to go to Australia raise the IQ of both countries " 
 hey Fink why do you not work with Kiwis anymore . ? I hope it wasn't something that they said 
cheers martin


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## professor_frink (25 August 2006)

x2rider said:
			
		

> Re Fink and Warney
> 
> I don't think anyone will forget the underarm incident . It has become part of sporting history . The same way that you guys stole Phar Lap from us and tried to claim the Pavlova for yourselves . As Our once prime minister , Rob Muldoon  said . "People who leave NZ to go to Australia raise the IQ of both countries "
> hey Fink why do you not work with Kiwis anymore . ? I hope it wasn't something that they said
> cheers martin




No no it wasn't anything they said! I left that job on good terms with evryone there, locals and kiwis. Most of them were fairly pleasant- it was when they were having a bad day that those sort of comments came out. All in good fun.


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## It's Snake Pliskin (25 August 2006)

*Re: What don`t you like about Australia?*



			
				professor_frink said:
			
		

> I use to work with a bunch of Kiwi's with that exact attitude




This validates my point.


I forgot to note the terrible view on crime. Kill, rape, steal and you are back on the streets in no time.


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## Ants (25 August 2006)

> I hate the Americanized version of Australia.



and the Englishised version of Australia.
And to that Pom before , I enjoy diggin the POMs yes. I grew up in a suburb full of em when I was young and Now my girlfriend has moved to a new suburb called BRIGHTON. A stupid pommy name designd to attract fearful british and their money.  And EVERY pub has a silly english name and all the shops have british food, gawd. THIS IS AUSTRALIA. Its wholesale relocation. Irksome at its best, banal cultural genocide at its worst. Wherever the poms have gone theyve caused division and violence. India, Ireland, Africa  etc maybe thier era of domination is over but not in my part of the world.

p.s I drink and play poker with em their fine and alot like aussies but this IS australia not pomgolia.


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## Ants (25 August 2006)

I been to K1 W1 top place . Top people! Love the kiwi's.


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## kgee (25 August 2006)

Bouncers!!!
Heres a little rant I had a friend who just became an australian citizen last week so she arranged a party in the city for the weekend...Bouncers dont let me in the nightclub because my shoes are to casual....the irony being at the ceremony the mayor and chief of police in there welcoming speech both went on about the casual lifestyle of WA and how they hope immigrants will embrace this lifestyle  
My shoes are only a couple of months old and in my mind quite tidy
I can't stand bouncers and there tough guy persona's in fact I dislike all authority figures that get off on making the rules
Other than that Australia is a fantastic place that I'm glad to have maken it my home!!!!


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## tahpot (25 August 2006)

kgee said:
			
		

> Bouncers!!!
> Heres a little rant I had a friend who just became an australian citizen last week so she arranged a party in the city for the weekend...Bouncers dont let me in the nightclub because my shoes are to casual....the irony being at the ceremony the mayor and chief of police in there welcoming speech both went on about the casual lifestyle of WA and how they hope immigrants will embrace this lifestyle
> My shoes are only a couple of months old and in my mind quite tidy
> I can't stand bouncers and there tough guy persona's in fact I dislike all authority figures that get off on making the rules
> Other than that Australia is a fantastic place that I'm glad to have maken it my home!!!!




Here, here! I'm in adelaide and we get some real moron bouncers. Although, because Adelaide is such a small place you get to pick them and avoid the doors they "bounce" 

(Although not all places have more than once entrance )


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## wayneL (25 August 2006)

kgee said:
			
		

> ....the casual lifestyle of WA...




Dead and buried BTW... a thing of history... a quaint memory of how things used to be


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## stiger (25 August 2006)

Radio talk back show hosts who bag someone all year, get him on the show and want to kiss his **s. makes me want to cringe and vomit.


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## warney (25 August 2006)

x2rider said:
			
		

> Re Fink and Warney
> 
> I don't think anyone will forget the underarm incident . It has become part of sporting history . The same way that you guys stole Phar Lap from us



i didnt know phar lap was from nz,you can have him back now we have finished with him :  hey ya got any more we can claim?


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## kgee (25 August 2006)

wayneL said:
			
		

> Dead and buried BTW... a thing of history... a quaint memory of how things used to be




Mate compared to the east coast ...WA is cruisey as....I always wanted to ask; your not one of Geraltons retired millionaire crayfisherman are you???
cheers


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## wayneL (25 August 2006)

kgee said:
			
		

> Mate compared to the east coast ...WA is cruisey as....I always wanted to ask; your not one of Geraltons retired millionaire crayfisherman are you???
> cheers




No, not a crayfisherman, just an out of work bum  ... mrs is from here, but I'm a blow in.

I don't agree that WA is cruisey any more. I've been back in WA for 2 years after living in Sodom and Gommorah (the east coast) for 15 years. Apart from the traffic being worse, there is no perceptible difference in stress levels from here or there.

I was shocked at what has happened to Perth. I wouldn't live there for quids now. 

<add> I have relatives in Raleigh - Durham NC and Atlanta Georgia... and they're more cruisey than Perth people LOL


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## kgee (26 August 2006)

We might have to disagree on this one wayne...but I agee there's some other cruisey places in the world...I was just in Ocean Beach San Diego....it's like a time warp back to the 60 and 70's I imagine its what venice beach use to be like wheen the doors and that were doing there thing....and of course there's those tropical paradise's like fiji....now thats laid back!!!
have a good one


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## moola (26 August 2006)

Ants said:
			
		

> I been to K1 W1 top place . Top people! Love the kiwi's.




I have to agree, I travelled all around australia and met alot of genuine people. But I must say the very best Australians I met were all from NZ.

I'd have to say that I have a problem with our political system, two parties is not enough and many other problems actually stem from that. I can't see any concept of representation in this system and as such I consider it a pretendy democracy. I don't have a problem with customer service, as someone else mentioned, but also I don't see the need to compare things you don't like about Australia with the rest of the world. That just means that it's something that person probably also wouldn't like about the rest of the world.

I have to say though, the fact we can have this discussion really says something about the lack of diversity in this country. I mean, even though we have a relatively low population, it's a big place. How can it possibly be that it's so much the same. How can we possibly relate to one anothers dislikes unless our culture has been strategically homogenised. On that note, I'm going to go for lack of diversity as one of my dislikes.

Another related thing I dislike is the way that the middle-upper class culture, through television, get's to shape Australian culture so absolutely. It's oblitterated many aussie cultures (for the better apparently, and it's hard to argue with that when it's all that you know from birth thanks to TV). But if you don't buy that stuff and you decide to boycott TV then you are left with the internet. And that's a very strange array of overlapping cultures that are international in nature and so aren't quite as personal (also due to the impersonal nature of using computers to communicate).

I was brought up in a highly working class area with many active communists in the community. I slowly watched the people in the suburbs of that area change from pot smoking bogans with beerguts running fish and chip shops and blues bands in the pubs to ecstacy popping clean shaven homosexuals opening cafe's and DJ's playing techno music in the clubs.

I'm not homophobic btw, it's a generalisation, but renders a good image of the actual culture shift that ocured over about 15 to 20 years as I observed it (I don't mean to offend). Eventually the commie trash moved to cheaper suburbs because the rents were getting too high and blue collar wages were not keeping up with inflation. I don't know what they are doing now, probably working for labor hire companies as casuals with not even a union to defend their rights. I miss those people, because I see them as our herritage. They built the nation and now we can't erase them from history fast enough. Maybe that's why I still drink VB, even though it tastes like cat piss. Just as a tribute to my roots.


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## Happy (26 August 2006)

When we mix up descendants of head hunters with descendants of stone age nomad people with descendants of convicts and descendants of people governing the colony and up to 140,000 of immigrants and refugees from all over the world every year.

We can virtually find millions of reasons to like and dislike something.


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## Porper (27 August 2006)

Ants said:
			
		

> And to that Pom before , I enjoy diggin the POMs .




You sound like a top bloke Ants, a bloody nice chap, have to have you round for a nice cup of tea, and a nice cream scone sometime.Tally ho.


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## Smurf1976 (27 August 2006)

*Re: What don`t you like about Australia?*



			
				Julia said:
			
		

> Yogi
> 
> Could you say some more about your suggestion re the water supply?
> 
> ...



Down here in Tas we've got 8600 megalitres litres flowing out of Meadowbank power station (lowest of 10 significant power stations in the Derwent River catchment) every day. We use about 70 megalitres to supply 60% of Hobart's water and the rest flows straight into the sea.

And another 5300 megalitres per day flowing out of Paloona PS (lowest of the 7 power stations (8 if you count a tiny one) in the Mersey-Forth catchment) which flows straight into Bass Strait.

And another 5300 megalitres per day flowing out of Trevallyn PS (in suburban Launceston). A bit is used to supply industry etc but well over 95% flows down the Tamar into Bass Strait. 1900 of that 5300 megalitres is a diversion into the catchment so quite a bit could be taken out before getting back to "natural" flows.

And another 12250 megalitres flows out of Reece PS every day (lowest of the 4 PS in the Pieman catchment). All of that goes straight into the sea off the West Coast of Tas. That alone is more than the entire water use in all Australian capital cities combined.

And another 3300 megalitres per day comes out of John Butters PS (King River scheme). All of that ends up in the sea off the West Coast of Tas.

And of course there's always the nearly 9000 megalitres per day from Gordon PS...

Those figures only include flow through the turbines and exclude storage spill (due to floods etc) which in practice is not useful to man (though it is useful to nature).

There's some pretty good reasons not to be pumping huge amounts of water onto agricultural land (salinity etc) but there's plenty to spare for urban use and industry if only we moved it to where it is needed. 

One big oil tanker sized load to each mainland capital city each day would basically fix water shortages in those cities. And it would take less than 10% of the water coming out of Trevallyn (or about 1.2% of the total non-flood discharge from all Tasmanian hydro-electric schemes) to do it. 

And of course Tas only has 12% of Australia's fresh water anyway so you could probably find it closer to home, especially in Queensland and WA.

Photo: Gordon Dam (Tas). About 140m high and, combined with the adjacent Lake Pedder, stores over 10 TRILLION litres when full (27 times the volume of water in Sydney Harbour and more than all Australian capital city water supply storages combined). Every drop headed straight to the sea... (Yes,  there's a safety rail so the tourists on top of the dam are perfectly safe...)


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## Julia (27 August 2006)

Wow, Smurf - wonderful photograph.  Most of mainland Australia would kill for that quantity of water.

It was like that when I lived in NZ.  Beautiful fresh water off the mountains, via the lakes.  Never a water meter to be seen.  Seeing sprinklers still going on lawns when it was raining was not an uncommon sight.  Water is simply not an issue.

Julia


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