"Why is Philippine labour cheaper than Australian labour, when supposedly they are of equal value? If there is no fundamental reason for the disparity, why does it persist? If the lower price represents an increased economic efficiency, then one would expect that the nations that jobs are off-shored to would be able to produce desired outputs at a greater rate and efficiency. Yet they are poorer and the people seek to move to countries with less efficient labour rates. Here we have two contradictory market forces. The first, movement of people, suggests that despite the increased cost, first world nations are a more desirable economic proposition. The second, movement of capital and jobs, suggests that the increased cost in the first world nations is not worth it, and third world nations present a more desirable economic proposition. They both can't be right, yet our economic world-view is that both are."
Australia is a country which rewards the speculator over the worker and saver, evidenced by tax concessions for those who take out margin loans or who can gear property priced well above what sound "Return on Investment" calculations would value the house at. Favourable treatment to the speculator class creates a "sheltered workshop" investment environment, where the state protects so called 'mum and dad' investors from the consequences of poor decisions, shields them from risk and moulds outcomes so that investment according to the advice of spivs and political backers appears to pay off. At the moment, the share market rally after the August/September correction is offering the potential for some easy profits, which for the investor willing to take a little risk, can be increased significantly by borrowing money to increase holdings during this time.
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