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Australia would be a nice place to visit, but I'm just not a fan of the nanny-state mentality. Ban this, ban that, it might be dangerous or annoy someone. It's bad enough where I live (California), but worse there.
Yes Australia can be known as a nanny state. Like you need to ask permission from the council to cut down trees in your own yard, cyclist get fined without wearing a helmet or having a bell, plus you need a permit to play soccer or cricket at a public park, any gatherings of over 20 people at a beach need a permit as well, plus an adult having a bicycle needs a photo identification with them.
Australia was never always like that, and there was far less restrictions in the 1970's and it was much more of a carefree country, where you could bend the rules and no one cared.
Yes Australia can be known as a nanny state. Like you need to ask permission from the council to cut down trees in your own yard, cyclist get fined without wearing a helmet or having a bell, plus you need a permit to play soccer or cricket at a public park, any gatherings of over 20 people at a beach need a permit as well, plus an adult having a bicycle needs a photo identification with them.
Australia was never always like that, and there was far less restrictions in the 1970's and it was much more of a carefree country, where you could bend the rules and no one cared.
Or how games are still not given the respect they deserve. Movies are subjected to a proper R18+ rating and even though games are finally in the same boat, there is still a fair deal of censorship there, though admittedly it has gotten better.
Australians actually travel a great deal and always have. Europe is certainly not a once in a lifetime trip any more. It was when we were young but now many of our friends go overseas at least once or twice a year.
I think the big disadvantage here is the internet speed. Hopefully it will improve for me when we finally get NBN in a couple of months.
Sorry about the hot dogs. They used to be more prevalent but basically people do not eat them because they do not like them!
Yes the nanny state issue! People growl about it all the time but when a particular issue comes up people tend to accept the restrictions. As we have Government funded healthcare people agree that keeping the road toll down, via helmets, seat belts, random breath tests and attempting to ban mobile phone use, is a good thing to not only prevent injury but to contain the cost of healthcare. Gun control has a high degree of support and about 80% of Australians supported the drastic change in the laws years ago. People even tend to support the restrictions on gatherings in parks and so on as large random groups tend to be noisy and leave a lot of litter. The tree issue is pretty annoying, to be honest. You have to laugh as our trees are pretty hardy. I noticed a neighbour's tree looked completely dead and now it is growing back very stubbornly!
Yes service is not as good as in the US but no-one wants to have a high tipping culture. It is becoming increasingly common for restaurants to require you to queue to order your food and drinks. The food is brought to you. No one has to worry about splitting bills or trying not to Oder something more expensive than others. No need to tip. We have just been away and ate somewhere with that arrangement every night. It was much more relaxing when with friends.
Yes Australia can be known as a nanny state. Like you need to ask permission from the council to cut down trees in your own yard, cyclist get fined without wearing a helmet or having a bell, plus you need a permit to play soccer or cricket at a public park, any gatherings of over 20 people at a beach need a permit as well, plus an adult having a bicycle needs a photo identification with them.
Australia was never always like that, and there was far less restrictions in the 1970's and it was much more of a carefree country, where you could bend the rules and no one cared.
These all sound like sensible restrictions to me... I wouldn't have a problem with any of them. It seems less individualistic and more community minded
Canada admits 280,000 immigrants a year, so its percentage is almost certainly increasing too. Somehow I doubt the gap is widening between the two countries. It might even be narrowing for all we know.
They abs recently released its net migration gains for 16-17 at net gain of 245,000. Which is almost exactly the same as amount as the UK. The projections down the bottom actually predict the population difference between Australia and canada to shrink.
Of course what actially happens in the future could be an entirley different matter. No matter Australia's foreign born will possibly stagnate, or start going down once all thoes old british immigrants we have start passing away.
Australians actually travel a great deal and always have. Europe is certainly not a once in a lifetime trip any more. It was when we were young but now many of our friends go overseas at least once or twice a year.
I think the big disadvantage here is the internet speed. Hopefully it will improve for me when we finally get NBN in a couple of months.
Sorry about the hot dogs. They used to be more prevalent but basically people do not eat them because they do not like them!
Yes the nanny state issue! People growl about it all the time but when a particular issue comes up people tend to accept the restrictions. As we have Government funded healthcare people agree that keeping the road toll down, via helmets, seat belts, random breath tests and attempting to ban mobile phone use, is a good thing to not only prevent injury but to contain the cost of healthcare. Gun control has a high degree of support and about 80% of Australians supported the drastic change in the laws years ago. People even tend to support the restrictions on gatherings in parks and so on as large random groups tend to be noisy and leave a lot of litter. The tree issue is pretty annoying, to be honest. You have to laugh as our trees are pretty hardy. I noticed a neighbour's tree looked completely dead and now it is growing back very stubbornly!
Yes service is not as good as in the US but no-one wants to have a high tipping culture. It is becoming increasingly common for restaurants to require you to queue to order your food and drinks. The food is brought to you. No one has to worry about splitting bills or trying not to Oder something more expensive than others. No need to tip. We have just been away and ate somewhere with that arrangement every night. It was much more relaxing when with friends.
Well there was a time when the Australian government left the people alone. In addition the days of the Jolly Swagman are over which is envisioned in Australia second anthem Walzing Maltilda. Yet these days the Jolly Swagman would be fined for pitching a tent in a public place, be fined for smoking or lighting a fire.
Plus the restrictions can be worse here than Europe such as you can ride a bicycle without a helmet. I also remember the days when the helmet was not legal and just about every kid around did not have one, but no one was alarmed by that. In Europe you can drink in public places, Plus you can't drink beer out in the middle of the city of Australia but that is normal among quite a number of European countries.You can drink beer in the park and the beach in Europe or a pavement outside the bar provide you act responsibility. It can't be done in Australia.
Yet even gatherings of less than 20 people at some beaches can mean people have to get a permit:Sydney’s Waverly council has even adopted an events policy that requires a permit any event on its Bondi, Bronte or Tamarama beaches publicised on social media, regardless of the number of guests, or face a $220 fine. https://www.yahoo.com/news/10-laws-t...021525185.html
Also you can't buy take away alchol after 10pm.
Sure Europe also has free government funded healthcare and nothing wrong with it, but Australia is more of a nanny state than Europe.
Parts of Europe have a much more enlightened drinking culture, such as Italy, where public displays of drunkeness are really frowned on. Unfortunately we still have a lot of antisocial drinkers, albeit the rate of alcohol consumption is declining.
There is also the issue that places in Waverley council, in particular, are completely flooded in summer with mostly European backpackers who will behave in a way that is completely unacceptable to locals. My daughter lives there and you see what happens. The backpackers do not care about the damage to the environment because they are passing through. The locals have to pay for the costs of cleaning up through their rates and accept rules that seem restrictive. One thing that I believe most of us are proud of is that our country is relatively clean and most people wish to keep it that way.
Parts of Europe have a much more enlightened drinking culture, such as Italy, where public displays of drunkeness are really frowned on. Unfortunately we still have a lot of antisocial drinkers, albeit the rate of alcohol consumption is declining.
There is also the issue that places in Waverley council, in particular, are completely flooded in summer with mostly European backpackers who will behave in a way that is completely unacceptable to locals. My daughter lives there and you see what happens. The backpackers do not care about the damage to the environment because they are passing through. The locals have to pay for the costs of cleaning up through their rates and accept rules that seem restrictive. One thing that I believe most of us are proud of is that our country is relatively clean and most people wish to keep it that way.
How about Germany? It has a high drinking culture.Also the Sydney lock out laws for 1am have resulted in a boom in areas outside the lockout law and the drink related violence has increased in those areas. Also it is illegal to get drunk in a bar. Plus smoking is banned at outside areas of bars and restaurants. Plus bar staff are required to throw out drunk patrons the bar, and the resultant can be fights in return and there is no soft landing if one falls on their head as the outside of bar floor are covered in concrete.
Plus Australia is one of the very few countries in the world that makes wearing helmets compulasry for people on a bicycle. In addition the local government has free bike for the use of anyone, but I rarely see any helmets with them.
Meanwhile there are far more serious crimes committed such as robbery and physical assult, and already the police are over resourced, yet they need to pay attention to the nanny state laws as well.
You will not get much sympathy complaining about smoking laws. People my age remember the days of being a non-smoker but having to wash all your clothes and your hair after a night out. Not too many people want to go back to that.
I know what you mean about the lock out laws and I know they are controversial in Sydney. I do think it is a shame there is not more of a late night culture. People seem to get up earlier and earlier.
Bike helmets are controversial, I know, and I think it is useless making laws that cannot be enforced. But we have had compulsory seat belts for a very long time. We spent weeks in the US many years ago and never saw anyone wearing them even though we did, from habit. So it is easy for many to accept helmets as we do seat belts.
Child restraints are another necessary annoyance, especially for grandparents, who often have a couple in the car for our once or twice a week babysitting duty. We actually have two in the car and three in the spare room! As they have to be tethered, by law, it is not simple and quick to take them in and out. But when I hear of a baby, as you do, surviving an accident by being thrown out strapped safely in their seat, it makes it worthwhile.
Yes Australia can be known as a nanny state. Like you need to ask permission from the council to cut down trees in your own yard, cyclist get fined without wearing a helmet or having a bell, plus you need a permit to play soccer or cricket at a public park, any gatherings of over 20 people at a beach need a permit as well, plus an adult having a bicycle needs a photo identification with them.
Australia was never always like that, and there was far less restrictions in the 1970's and it was much more of a carefree country, where you could bend the rules and no one cared.
Ex-convicts need a strong hand that guides them, tells them what is ok and what is not.
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