Income

Sometimes we are so busy getting on with our lives we don’t notice history is being made before our eyes. That is precisely what is happening right now with equal pay.

Forty years ago an Australian woman doing the same job as a man was not guaranteed the same pay. The law allowed employers to set two rates of pay, one for men and one for women,  the unspoken basis being a woman could not hope to be as efficient and productive as a man. Work was often seen as a temporary thing for women, before they became wives and mothers. Women in some jobs, like teaching and the public service, were required to resign once they got married.

No women had sat in Cabinet, on the High Court or served as Governor-General. Or, Heaven forbid, led the union movement.

Continue reading "Equal pay: Plenty of women are still being left behind" »

The Australian Bureau of Statistics has released what it calls a study of “estimates of personal income for small areas.” For ease however we will call it our shameless guide to class warfare and rich people’s suburbs.

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According to the study - conducted between 2003-04 and 2007-08 - the North Sydney waterside suburb of Mosman has the highest average income in the country at $131,606. If a suburb with an average income like that isn’t reference point enough, the national average is $44,402.

Second are the battlers of Woollahra in East Sydney on $116,376.  One begins to feel a bit dirty heading over to Hunters Hill on a mere $95,027, and then if you would actually want to be seen there you can get into North Sydney on $83,997 and Ku-ring-gai at $82,195.

Continue reading "The Punch guide to our rich suburbs and big houses" »