It happens so often that policy changes in the UK, Europe or the US show up here that it's worth keeping an eye on them. Sometimes it happens the other way around.

The UK govt recently increased what was known as the minimum wage but they called it the Living Wage. As so many commentators have joked though, nobody can actually live on it unless you don't have a roof and eat baked beans every day. The rate is 7.20 pounds per hour or about $13.50 Aus.

The mantra that goes with it is: "The government wants to move from a low wage, high tax, high welfare society to a higher wage, lower tax, lower welfare society." Do people actually take in a statement like that or does it just go Zzzip!

But this is the bit that caught my attention. You don't actually become entitled to the Living Wage until you're 25. Now is that going to travel round the western economies?

Death to the under 25s. Quite right too.

you know I remember when Australia went through this way back it was

our wage was compared to America....at that time...what they never took into account was the amount of paid time off the Australian received and the Americans basically nothing.. they did at that time get two weeks paid annual leave...we got 4...however since then our wages steadily increased to the point where we clearly over took America..

the point I am making is we still cry POOR...

enough is never going to be enough...and it will always be someone elses responsibility to provide for them...minimum wage usually meant this is only the beginning.. you go UP from here but its UP to you..

it used to be called incentive.. ::) ::)