CrozierFamily

I think there is a fair bit of difference between the responsibility of an individual nurse/policeman or firefighter and an MP. An MP is supposed to be a leader, a person with a great breadth of responsibility and who can do things that impact significant numbers of people. A nurse/policeman or firefighter is a 'doer'. Yes they have a great deal of responsibility and yes they add a great deal of value, but ultimately the comparison you are drawing is flawed. A truer comparison is that of the chief policeman or chief firefighter. I think you will find they get paid a great deal more than an MP. I would not for one second look to belittle the individuals who do jobs such as nursing or policing. They are incredibly important jobs, but they are not in the same space as being an MP. Also - The old public sector workers get treated badly line is nonsense. They have very comfortable and mainly stable jobs and in the main have excellent benefits compared to the private sector.

I also find this point of view a little bit daft. If you set aside the expenses scandal, which was totally wrong and unacceptable and focus on the actual benefits of being an MP... What kind of calibre of individual would you find if you made a series of cuts to MP pay and allowances? Surely you want your MP to be a high calibre individual? How many high calibre individuals do you know that would be happy to be paid significantly below what they could earn in any other job? Personally I think MPs should be paid more, they are paid a basic salary of £65k. I earn more than that and I am in a middle management job, not running the affairs of many thousands of people. If you wan't to attract the best, you need to pay for it. If you don't you will end up with independently wealthy individuals who are doing the job for a hobby, or numpties. All of the above aside, the problem we do have right now is that a great deal of our MPs are useless. But that is another story.

Life is all about perspective isn't it, you could equally argue that the Labour party only look after their own also, infact if you looked at any political party you would say the same. That would be why they exist is it not? Calling them the nasty party is a bit ridiculous. Kind of daft even. The Labour party spend a decade in power trying to create an majority of voters who either worked in the public sector, or who became entirely dependant on a life on benefits. So what do the Tory party do? They try and not let the public sector get over bloated, which is the right thing to do in my view, they try and not let the public spending get out of all proportion with earnings, which again I think is right. They also try and not take people who have worked hard for their money and earned it and fleece them for every penny they can, again sounds fair to me. I am not really a massive Tory fan, but in England they appear to be the only choice of party that will not bankrupt us all by spending more than we earn. That's what Labour do. Normally the other thing the Tory party does, is clear up the complete shambles Labour leave behind them. It does amuse me when I read the postings of Socialist minded folks. Only problem with Socialism is it doesn't work. Never has, never will. Human nature would not allow it.

Life is all about risk isn't it? Ultimately it is up to me to make the most of this opportunity. If it all goes pear shaped at least I gave it a go! I think I should be okay anyway, the people I have been speaking to in the company appear to be very decent and I am confident in my abilities. My aim will be to get permanent residency as soon as I can, and they have said they will support that. I know there is risk involved, but I could get knocked down by a bus tomorrow, so I may as well give it a go.

I have spent a year searching for a role that would offer 457 sponsorship, it has taken a fair amount of effort, but I have now found one. I searched the job boards everyday and I must have sent nearly a thousand emails to various companies and recruitment agencies. In the end the effort appears to have paid off as the company is paying for the sponsoship and I even managed to wangle some relocation allowance also. I guess it depends on what your profession is, or what skill you can bring to Australia, but I thought it would be worth posting that it is possible to find assistance if you are persistent. There were times that I thought I would never find anything, but I can't tell you how happy I am to have finally landed something! My experience is in financial services product management, which is a bit of a specialism. I think if you have a niche and can find the right recruitment agencies who specialise in that niche then you will have your best chance. We are still expecting the move to be expensive, but we have been saving like mad for the move for a year now and with the relocation allowance I am hopeful that we will have enough to move across comfortably. I have planned for worse case scenarios and have been building a rather detailed spreadsheet on costs to make sure I am covering all the bases. My recommendation based on my experience is to just be persistent and keep at it, even when you think you are getting nowhere. I actually got two job offers with relocation in one week, after having nothing of note for a year! These jobs are like buses I tell you! Hopefully this gives some folks hope that it can be done. I appreciate that is not the case for everyone, but if you have a skill thay you can argue is a bit specialist, it is possible. Good luck to everyone on their search!

My wife has only been getting paid statutory maternity pay for most of the time, which the company pays and then claims back. I will continue to check out the details, but I believe we are good to keep on claiming. To be honest she will move in October and the last payment is in December, so we are not talking a massive amount of money, but every little helps!

Thanks for the info! My wife is being paid the maternity by her employer. I wil check out the site.

Hi Quick question, when we move to Australia in September, my wife will have a few months of statutory maternity pay left to receive. I know we have to cancel child benefits when we move, but are we entitled to take the remaining statutory maternity payments? My wife is likely to be coming with me either in September or October. My view is that we paid our taxes and we are owed this money, but I want to know what the legal rule is if anyone can help me? Any advice appreciated!

It is like blaming obesity on fast food joints, they may be part of the problem, but no one forced anyone to stuff themselves half to death with burgers. Blaming the banks is an easy and lazy excuse. The fundamental problem is a lack of personal responsibility and poor government oversight. Of course banks encouraged people to lend, they are banks. If they dont do that people complain that they wont lend them any money, so they can never win in that respect. Bottom line is they made some very stupid mistakes, like everyone else. Singling them out as the guys with the majority of the blame on their shoulders is daft. We all played our part in making the mess, from those people who lived a life on benefits and consider it their right, the people who took out massive mortgages they could never afford on the long term, the government who became drunk on spending to buy votes, to the bankers who chased short term profits at all costs.

I would not for a second try and pretend that Banks in general did not play a part in the crisis, of course they did. However, what riles me in this day and age is the complete lack of personal responsibility that appears to be apparent across society. No banks forced anyone to take any money and they didnt force the government to consistently spend more that they earned during the good times. Banks made some very basic mistakes when assessing risk, that much is obvious, however the reason we are in this mess is due to stupidity on all sides and greed by individuals and governments trying to keep up with the Jones' and spending money they never had.

As an individual who works in middle management in the banking industry, can I just say how frustrating it is to hear the same old rubbish about bankers being the cause of all the worlds ills. Sure some areas of the industry made some pretty ridiculous mistakes, but fundamentally the issues we have today are not caused by 'bankers'. What caused our troubles was that individuals, businesses and governments got greedy and spent more than they earn. That is also why cuts are required. All that is happening at the moment is that more and more debt is being forced upon your children and your childrens children. Stop falling for the nonsense about bankers, the problem is the government not understanding basic economics.

Hi everyone Was just wondering if anyone knows anything about or lives in Croydon Hills, Victoria? I am looking to move out with my husband and 2 girls (one is 15 months and the other is 6 weeks) and 2 small well behaved dogs in September. Is it a nice place to bring up a family and is it easy access to amenities, public transport etc? How far is it to Melbourne CBD on the train? Are there lots to do for families in the area such as playgroups for the little ones? We would be looking to spend up to $600 pw for a 3 bed house initially and then look for a house to buy after a year or so. If anyone has any advice or would like to suggest any other areas please let me know Many thanks in advance Alison

Does the pom queen run that site?

Hi there. Thanks so much for your comments. I really appreciate you taking the time. I think Toowoomba sounds lovely, so we have a hard decision to make. Still it is a good decision to have to make, so I am not complaining. Really appreciate your insight! Andrew

I have been emailing the movingtomelbourne site, but getting no replies, does anyone have a contact number to try them on?

Hello everyone. Thank you all for your comments. The choice between Melbourne and Toowoomba is like picking between apples and pears (as someone has mentioned) so we are really just looking for some perspective before we make a call on what is best for us. In truth neither my wife or I are city people, we grew up in a small town in Northern Ireland and we now live in a reasonably quiet part of Wiltshire in England, so the main attraction of Melbourne for me is not really how cosmopolitan it is. I think we are very lucky to potentially have the choice between two jobs and I am hopeful that regardless of how we choose, we will have a great adventure. At the moment if you asked me a different points in the day which was my preference I would give you a different answer each time. The job in Toowoomba is arguably more up my street in regards to experience, but at the same time I am aware that the single most important thing for me is ensuring my wife settles well in Australia and does not want to come home after a short time, and I am guessing there will be more to keep her occupied in Melbourne. That said one thing she is anxious about is finding friends, and sometimes smaller town folks are more friendly than people in the big city. Anyway, a bit of head scratcher, but I am happier having a difficult decision like this to make, than having no prospects of a move at all. Somewhat typical though that we have been looking for a job for me for about 12 months now, with only a few bites, and now we get two potential offers in a week! Thanks so much for your input. Please keep it coming!

Hi Thank you so much for the details, I really appreciate it. Andrew

Hi there Thank you for coming back to me. I think ideally we might look to find something a little closer to the city for the initial place to stay, but I may come back to you on that. I appreciate your response. Andrew

I am being offered a role at about $155k including super plus bonus and from what I can work out it is broadly similar to my standard of living in the South West on a salary of $60k plus car allowance etc. I have estimated I will be able to save around $2000 a month if I live within my means (like I do here) assuming I spend up to $600 per week on rent. A while ago I was offered a role in Sydney and I turned it down as it seems to be so much more expensive (especially rental), but Melbourne seems very reasonable considering it is supposed to be the best city in the world to live!

Hello folks So we are potentially moving to Melbourne in a few months time. I was wondering if there are any folks on this site who have short term rental properties or know any good places to find a place to stay while I come up with something more permanent. Ideally I need something that would suit a family of 4 (two kids - 1yr - 1 month) and within commuting distance of the CBD. We will have our two small (well behaved non hair shedding) dogs arriving once they get out of quarantine but I doubt this will happen before we find something longer term. Hopefully I would be able to find something permanent within a month, so really just looking for short term. Though if anyone has a long term rental that fits the same category - up to about $600pw please let me know! Any thoughts appreciated. Thanks, Andrew

Hello everyone. Thank you very much for your comments. I think they reaffirmed our thoughts on the two places. I guess I will have to wait and see if both roles come through for certain and then make a decision from there. Melbourne is winning at the moment, but I do fancy a place with a load of acres of land in Toowoomba too!

Hi folks I am in the process of being offered two jobs, one in Melbourne CBD and one in Toowoomba. I appreciate they are very different places, but I was wondering if there are any strong views on what the benefits and cons are of each. We would be moving over with our two children (one aged 13 months the other 1 month) and our two dogs and I would be the only one working with a salary of around $140k for both places. Melbourne has a lot of very obvious benefits, but I am trying to make sure I am making a balanced decision so I would be keen to understand if anyone has anything to say that would help me weigh things up properly. We are not really city people per se, but we are excited by the opportunities Melbourne would offer, equally though we are mindful that Toowoomba could offer a really good community lifestyle and probably a much better standard of living for the salary I would be paid. I would be interested to know: If you had two job offers of the same money in the Melbourne and Toowoomba, which one would you choose and why? Thanks in advance for your comments!!

Thanks Bob That is great I will investigate further. That is a major weight lifted off my mind! Thank you

Hi My husband and I are considering a move to Melbourne this year and we are looking at the Point Cook area, especially Sanctuary Lakes. I have been looking at the houses and they are lovely new builds which is what I am looking for. However I would like to know more about the area, does it have anything for mums with young children (I have a 1 year and a 5 week old) and what is the commute on the train like to the CBD (for hubby)? As I am moving to Australia from the UK I would like to be in a place where I can meet people with children of similar age and also raise the girls in a safe environment with good schools. Is Sanctuary Lakes a good place to do this? Many thanks

Hi My mini schnauzer has recently been diagnosed with bladder stones He has to go on a special prescribed diet and I know that I cannot send the food with him as it will be destroyed on arrival. Are there provisions for dogs with special diets in Melbourne quarantine station and if so how do I ensure he gets the correct food for his condition. If they come back he will have to have surgery to get them removed which I really want to avoid. Many thanks