It has become the mantra of a vast segment of the Australian population, it can be heard on every vox pop, current affairs programme and non-stop on talk back radio...that is 'struggling to get by..' But what does this actually mean in today's Australian society and who is saying it?

Having parents born before the second World War gives me an odd insight into an Australia that is virtually unknown for people of my generation. That is of a time when flavour on food was from dripping, that fat and salt that accumulated in an oven dish after the cooking of meat, when higher education meant going into grade 8 at school, when it was unthinkable for someone other than family to care to care your children and the concept of paying for that care was as distant and obscure as the taking of a holiday.

I have never really wanted for anything, I have rarely been without food for longer than a couple of days and that was usually due to partaking in risky adventures in Tibet, the mountains of Mongolia or the Streets of London. However my parents did know what this was like they actually did struggle and live in a time of poverty and have not. They lived through the ravages of the Great Depression when people in this country did face long term hunger and deprivation, the shortages and rationing the went well on during and after the 6 year world war which despite being a world away from my parent families on the docks of Freemantle and the dust bowl of the Victorian mallee affected them as harsh as those in amongst it. My Parents made well clear on us 11 kids of what life was like during these times of struggle and they made us well aware that during such times that it is essential to focus on your core needs and appreciate simple things like air in your lungs and the laughter of your family.

So it is interesting when I hear obese people, living in their 3 TV, 2 car, airconditioned homes that they are 'struggling to make ends meet'. Is it that we have become so accustomed to the 'good life' that we do not understand what it is to really live any more? I have no issue with being overweight, I am in that category, I also have air conditioned rented house and two vehicles, however I find myself in a very privileged situation and find it hard to find fault with the wonderful situation I am in with our national safety net and very high standard of living.

To complain on the costs of extravagant lifestyle choices like Pay TV, Cinema attendance, Mobile Phones, Restaurants, Concerts, larger brick homes, High Speed Internet, Private Education, Personal Trainers, Hair Dressers is more to the point when the modern Australian wonders why they seem to be 'struggling' to stay in front of debt collectors. Perhaps a look at what is necessary rather that what is enjoyable or required in order to 'keep up with the Joneses'.

The greatest complaint of the past few months is the price of fresh food going up. Australia has access to very cheap food. Whilst there are many reasons for price rises of late it is hard to ignore one blaring obvious question....Why shouldn't food prices rise?

Australians have become very used to price rises, in fact many live on price rises; think of the incredible wealth that was created by the property boom, the stock market booms do we not also notice the massive rises in real wages over the past 20 years?

Whilst prices have risen all around us food remained cheap and it was those people producing that food which paid for that stagnation. Farmers forced against the wall as their city cousins grew in wealth on property and stocks. In just 10 years following 1994 and the 'recession Australia had to have' whilst urban Australia boomed rural Australia lost 20,000 of its then 150,000 farm enterprises. The numbers have continued to decline with many farmers staying in business not because of financial incentives but due to their 'tie to the land'. The number of farmers has continued to decline however finally the tables are beginning to turn with profitability returning to parts rural Australia on the back of these massive disasters that continue to wipeout huge amounts of production in the form of drought, flood, disease and cyclones.

Grazing sheep is now a profitable enterprise, which for most of my life was far from it, wheat finally reached prices that achieved reasonable heights, cotton at record highs makes the high input costs finally worth it and the result is of course that farmers are being paid for their product at a level that allows them to stay in business. 

There is no question that gouging is taking place by middle men as it always has, however now farmers are in a better position than I have known and personally if that means that I pay a bit extra for my fruit and vegetables and I have to wait until meat is on special then so be it. But don't tell me this is life on 'Struggle Street', when I know of a whole world of people who would readily take a place amongst us and would think of this as a life of kings. It is these people that enjoy the air in their lungs and live for the laughter of their family....and for them Struggle Street is not an address but an Idea that is in the eye of the beholder.