Trans-Tasman Irritation

At the best of times, it annoys me, but right now it really pisses me off.

New Zealanders constantly compare themselves to Australians and conditions in Australia. I hate it.

Australians get paid more, Australians drive bigger cars, Australians all have plasma TVs, Australians pay less tax ... on and on it goes.

I don't know where it comes from and I certainly haven't conducted any research of my own, but a lot of these statements are completely without foundation. They must be. I just don't see people in Australia - as a whole - enjoying a better life style. And I see a lot of people much worse off than you see in NZ.

The single one thing that is better in Australia, than in NZ, is the weather. And that's only if you like it hot and clear and don't mind sitting in air-conditioning for hours.

The constant comparisons are foolish and at best, unhelpful. At worst it is destructive and it undermines the efforts of New Zealanders, in New Zealand. It might even have something to do with the brain drain - young people actually think it is better to be in Australia. They hear these mythical comparisons all the time as they grow up.

Now I am not someone who regularly blames "the media" for misrepresenting or highlight issues that would otherwise not get attention. In fact I'm the opposite. Usually I'm the one saying, 'it's not the media, they just write what they see'. But in this case, I can't help thinking it is too easy for journos to run out the "Australia is better' angle, on just about any story.

New Zealand is constantly comparing itself to the rest of the world, always looking for reliable benchmarks. Do we have enough superannuation savings? Do we have better after-school childcare? Do we have safe hospitals? Do we have higher property taxes?

I know from my time as a journalist it makes sense to use comparisons in a story like that, so it has relevance to the reader. You can decide if you really think our lack of savings is a bad thing, if only three other countries in the world save more, per head. Maybe our mental health system isn't so bad, if we spend more on mental health, per head, than any other country in the world?

That I understand. What peeves me is the media - and the general population - use Australia as a benchmark for everything! It's like saying everything in Australia is better so we should compare ourselves to where they are at.

Here's a newsflash - they ain't better.

Here's an example: Did you know it is impossible for a mature student to get into a university in New South Wales? It doesn't matter what your marks are, or how much money you've got. There are no places. You can not get an education. You don't hear about that in NZ. I was a mature aged university student in NZ. I have a degree because my country let me get one.

I've just finished reading a story in the NZ media about retirement savings. It's about how NZers are saving less. Various economist types are saying that Australians save more, and the super system in Australia is better. It's just not that simple!

For a start it's compulsory in Australia. At least 9% of your pay disappears before you even see it. Into a super fund. Very recently the system has changed so you can choose which super fund your money goes to. Up until now the employer decided. Of course there are people now wandering around with at least half a dozen super funds on the go, cos they have changed employers and not shifted over their super.

These are not the kinds of people who will now fill out all the forms and do all the research and move their super into one place. So straight away the system starts to magnify itself. Huge companies are now sitting on ever growing piles of cash, basically given to them - no questions asked - by law. And the person who actually owns the cash can't get it til they are 65.

And of course all those little accounts have fees and charges on them ... it's a great scam for your average finance company or bank.

And as for the "employer contribution" this is pretty much non-existent in the circles I move in. Occasionally you see a job advertised where the employer kicks in another couple of percent, but the salary is usually lower to off-set the higher contribution. And you can say, 'actually I would like to be paid all that money now please, cos I want to invest it myself' but it involves setting up your own investment fund ... and the advice from all the super advisors is that it's too hard. They would say that wouldn't they!? And it is hard, because the government doesn't want to have to monitor them. It would require yet another government department of say 1000 people!!

And there's a nice little catch for us Kiwis. You can't take the money when you leave. I'm struggling to find anyone who can advise me on this, but what I do know is that we can't take our super when we go back to NZ. It stays here, sitting in a fund with fees coming off it every year, til we are 65. I've heard a rumour it is possible to shift it back to NZ - to another super fund - but I can't find any info about this. The search continues.

Next time I get pissed off about this "But in Australia ... " thing I will write here about property taxes. And the great "better pay" myth. And the Kyoto Protocol. And Baxter Detention Centre. And racism. And burning coal for electricity. And Medicare.

One day NZ will grow up, and we won't need to measure ourselves anymore. We will look back at people like David Lange and we will know we have always been strong enough to say what we think and work together to figure out what is best for us.

I fear that day is some way off.