Australia has been socialistish as long as I’ve been alive so it’s not on the Irish who came post GFC, they moreso amplified it. No different to the Vietnamese who emigrated here - they left after the US were kicked out because they weren’t Commies but they came with little and benefitted greatly from our social programs and so now keep voting for more of the same. Australia is undoubtedly one of the best places in the world if you’re poor. Until recently being homeless was very much only by choice, plenty of systems to get you on your feet if you fell on hard times so every wave of immigrants has benefitted from this. Problem is they now massively outnumber the local productive population who pay for it all and because most aren’t business owners who see more directly how fucked taxes are, they entrench and broaden the socialism through their politics.

Thanks man. I only know a few Ozzies ( native ozzies, not Irish expats), and I've never been to Austrailia, so I never get that perspective. Geniuinely appreciate the first hand insight.