Nah not too skeptical.
this is a dangerous time for those in the middle in Australia. Unhappily there is always poor people that rely day to day on government handouts. There are always rich people that as long as they don't do anything too stupid they will remain so.
The issues above hit home to people that are between these categories. These changes and these issues are quickly moving that invisible but obvious BREADLINE. Its moving people down into the bottom bracket. They ones that now rely on the government and just simply can't get a foothold up. Its quite scary really.
Most of my friends are solidly in the middle bracket. As am I, but the rate im seeing friends that were only just in that middle bracket slip down is just crazy. Friends who have GOOD jobs. 2 kids, limited vices, non extravagant lifestyle. They rented because the didn't buy a house for work reasons... Now... well... During middle of Covid lockdowns i have 3 of these friends ask on FB for Food handouts because they had nothing. I took over boxes of food. They are now wanting to buy a house, but were priced out months ago. With rising rent and cost of living the chance of this is slipping and slipping while they lose the investment opportunity of owning a house.
That line is a scary one coming to claim people that i never thought it could. I don't know how Australia can fix this. But it better do something drastic as poverty is creeping into places i never thought it could.
Sarah