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How good's Australia? No really, that's a question (aussie.zone)

submitted 2 days ago by bpalmerau@aussie.zone to c/australianpolitics@aussie.zone

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Alan Austin, via Independent Australia, has been publishing articles about the state of the economy in an effort to counter the current backyard barbecue headcanon that everything has gone to pot and Albanese's government are the devil.

Austin's latest points out that, No Pauline, 63 per cent of Australians do not use candles, and he gave solid stats on previous governments in this one: Specialists refuse to correctly diagnose best economy ever

However, national figures are never going to communicate a true picture of who's doing it tough, who's doing fine, who's doing well because they're doing good, and who's living the high life by extracting from others and trashing the planet. Means, and even medians abound, but what are the modes of Australian life? Anybody have good data sources they'd like to share?

For example, nationally, luxury spending is apparently up, on private schools, overseas trips etc, but at what income do people do that spending? In what parts of the country? National employment figures are 'good' but what about graduates?

In his bio, it says Austin currently lives in the south of France :) I guess he has a traveller's perspective on how good Australia is.

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[–] eureka@aussie.zone 3 points 2 days ago

You've raised great questions.

I second those notes on national figures. I personally see an orange flag when people point to national metrics of economy, luxury, etc. as a sign of governance success (or failure). I've seen neglected public housing and gentrified tech-worker luxury a suburb apart, jump a couple more suburbs for mega-million mansions on the waterfront. This is all within an electorate or two. So what the heck do national statistics matter?

You mention means, medians and modes... I like to see medians when they show their face, do you have some critiques of medians in these kinds of statistics? I'd like to be aware if I'm giving them too much credit, perhaps because they so clearly contrast against means to demonstrate inequality in distribution.

Anybody have good data sources they’d like to share?

I'm afraid I don't, especially not for Australia. I could try and adapt the Wealth Shown to Scale explainable to Australia's ultrawealthy...