To start Australia is not like most other countries
The weather is generally temperate, the population on the whole are educated and reasonably healthy due to the availability of good food and climate.
We are in many ways the lucky country as the adds say
IMHO We had a bad start due to the laws governing mining whereby the people did not own anything other than the surface and we have always been over governed and owned by others overseas
So this has caused the absence of funds which were needed to make the country develop and grow, whereas the USA discovered oil and within a few decades they had millionaires by the dozen most of whom put the money back into the country, our millions went overseas and to this day continue to do so.
I have a friend on one of the University Boards and he raises money, but most of the money comes from small private individuals as all the big companies support education in their own country
Back to the lucky country, much of the investment is wasted, in other words we don't need it as it does nothing for the people. I am not the first to say that we have been through this massive mining boom and finish up in substantial debt
The people who need the foreign investment are mostly the big overseas companies so they can make profits to take home.
A first point in buying any investment is what is my plan and what do I get out of it.
Australia has never asked these questions there are so many things done in this country which do not come close to benefiting the Mum and Dads in the burbs
Therefore if we have foreign investment it has to be structured so that we retain our 51 % ownership and some control and they have to pay tax on their gross turnover. There have many many companies highlighted on HC in the last few weeks where big companies pay little or no tax Google 0.9% ! and others as bad.
Allowing foreigners to buy houses is totally crazy and is purely a political ploy to make figures look better
