2/17/2010
Notable quote by Pauline Hanson
'Our govts lack enough people with the fortitude to speak up without fear or favour. Over regulation, increasing taxes and lack of true representation are affecting our way of life. I feel very much for the young ones. Once, it was common for them to won their own homes. Not now. It's a harder place.' Pauline Hanson
Pauline Hanson is leaving Australia and returning to England to her fish and chip root. She must have been very disappointed over the immigration policy in Australia and wanted to go back to a place that is much fairer. She is in for a nasty surprise. There are more coloured immigrants in England today than the England she thought she knew.
Her quote above is very familiar. At first I thought it was from a Singaporean or about Singapore. The only part I agree with her is her concern for the young. But it is not so that the young in Singapore are not able to buy their affordable homes here. Our young are in a very admirable position with the govt guaranteeing that more affordable homes will be built for them. Australia should learn from Singapore in building homes for their young.
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I think the problem faced by Australia, in one way, is similar to Singapore - here, most people want to stay in central/prime locations, so prices are higher.
In Australia, most people want to live in the cities, so prices in the cities are higher.
The price variation for homes is Singapore can be significant. This is also true in Australia.
Some people say (or used to say),"Sell the home in Singapore, can buy a big house in Australia.) This is only partly true, it depends on where in Australia. I guess the same could be said for most parts of the world.
Australia does not provide public housing in the such a large scale as the HDB in Singapore. In fact, I know of no other country that does this other than in Singapore. Some countries provide low cost housing with the most basic amenities to their poorest in society.
However, I believe that Australia currently gives a housing grant to all first time homeowners who are its citizens or permanent residents. I believe that the grants(or subsidies) amount to as much as AUD20,000(not sure whether it's per head or per family unit.) I think there is an expiry date to this policy.
So, instead of building homes, in managing housing in Australia, the government in Australia leaves the building of home to the private sector and macro manages its interest rates, and at times, where and when it deems appropriate, provides housing grants.
Is this better or worse than the Singapore approach? I don't know.... Guess as usual, there are pros and cons to the different approaches.
Poor Pauline is throwing in the towel because she knows that what she is championing is a dying cause. Governments everywhere are only interested in GDP growth never mind what happens to the lives of its own citizens by cheap labour imports. We bemoan the ballooning of property prices but it's the same story in Hong Kong as well. A taxi driver told me on my recent visit that Chinese Mainlanders are pushing up property prices beyond the reach of most Hong Kongers. I discern lots of frustration and animosity towards these new "invaders". But life goes on.
Australia being the "lucky" country still has lots of room to grow its cities. Unfortunately, this isn't true for us or the Hong Kongers.
Most people elsewhere feel "ashamed" to live in public housing. In general, this is not the case here. The exterior of the apartment may be drab and mundane but once you're in the apartment, it becomes another world altogether, ie sans the loan sharks!
Maybe should follow Wally and go to Lijiang. Tsk! Tsk!
Oops..... shouldn't have let the cat out of the bag, next thing you know, the place will be full to new migrants, booming property prices etc....
But maybe by then, Wally can cash out...
Just kidding there, Wally, hope you don't mind.
Actually, I don't even know where Lijiang is,,,,,,too comfortable here in Singapore lah......
Singapore is still a great place to live. Singaporeans should do whatever it can to keep it that way. We should, like the Australians, pass it down to our children a place that is as good as we have lived in during our time. Anyone attempting to destroy this place must be kicked in the arse.
If Singaporeans want to remain docile and let the rogues mess up their country, then they must be held accountable to their children if it indeed becomes a mess and not liveable when their time comes.
That's true, we are transients in this world and we owe a duty as trustees to the next generation. Hopefully, we will act and behave responsibly such that the generations to come can continue to live good and meaningful lives in this country, and in the larger context, in this world of ours....
Hi Robert,
Cashing out? No way man. Would you if you can see Shangrila when you slide open your bay windows? And would you believe I traded for paradise with the proceeeds of a 3 room HDB? I am forever indebted to the HDB Truly, they are not the villians everyone, well almost, make them out to be. Hehe. As there are no food courts, no integrated resorts, no shopping malls etc., I am not perturbed with a big rush of migrants here. Hell, even the natives want to get out of the place and migrate to the big cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou to seek their pot of gold. This place is just for rheumatic retirees reminiscing their rascal days just like Perth.
I don't need to be sent to JB to be "retired". I go voluntarily and it's all made possible by the HDB! Hehe.
Lijiang and Singapore, two great places to stay when you get sick of either one at any point of time.
I am contemplating of joining Wally in Lijiang.
Reminds me of our predicament. Maybe we should have someone like her to speak up without fear of favour. But again, a racist like her, better not.
What predicament? We are a big country with plenty of land. No problem at all. We can keep building and building, like building the Tower of Babel.
Redbean, somehow I suddenly like your optimism after reading the news that we may be living underground.
Perhaps another layer of society, something like surface for elites and rich foreigners and underground for lesser mortals. Wow, the ESC really thinks far ahead.
Maybe SIN is holding the World Record for the Tallest Public Housing Building but somehow did not made the claim official.
Just telling to myself that SIN leaders and some Singaporeans are already building castles in the air(in their minds). Quite many Singaporeans do think they are living in paradise. A paradise with nothing to enjoy.
When we heap several layers over the little rock, you may need to pay for a breath of fresh air or to bathe in the sunlight: )
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