A necessary means towards higher standards of living is to reduce the size of our government and reduce the welfare dependent. History shows that living standards ALWAYS decline under socialist governments .... ALWAYS.
Immigration policy is directly tied to our standards of living. Talk of being a "smart" nation is just hollow if we are to be heavily populated by uneducated , unskilled immigrants.
Prosperous nations are always stable and harmonious. Switzerland being a great example.
There is not a great deal of point in railing against globalization. There is no particular group of people driving this agenda, despite what conspiracy theorists think, it is brought about by many forces, too numerous to list or fully understand. Trying to stop it is a sure fire way to lower living standards though.
Trying to stop globalization is akin to trying to stop technological progress, it just won't happen.
We have swung way too far towards Socialism in this country and I have little doubt in saying that this will be the primary cause of lower living standards in Australia. When the inevitable downswing in the business cycle kicks in, who pays ? Can we afford a cadre of bureaucrats earning $800 k pa in the "Department for Climate Change"? Can we afford a Carbon Tax? Can we afford payroll taxes for the priveledge of hiring someone? Can we afford hairbrain social schemes that produce nothing ?
The private sector has had to downshift its living standards but the public sector just keeps charging the same taxes. I don't have all the answers but I think getting rid of our parasitic government class and fixing our immigration policy are 2 good places to start.
