It's been hot, sunny, and sea levels rise from Antarctica ice-melts, but no fires! However, floods in the north decimated fruits and vegetables, increasing food prices. No one mentions climate change when extreme weather ruins crops and increases energy bills to unaffordable.

Undoubtedly, half the produce shouldn't be grown in Australia, but tropical storms decimated Queensland, drowning mangoes, bananas, and countless fruits and vegs. The government announced it will announce financial support to reduce the cost of living burden, but it tends to target the middle and upper classes, leaving pensioners to cut their budgets that have been cut too many times.

My community garden is working with nearby gardens to efficiently grow more food for the public, but we can only feed so many. The big grocery stores donate ugly (we are a ridiculous species) produce and fresh food just before it expires to my work so that we can hand out fortnightly food parcels.

Australia isn't doing great, but it's not the worst place to be poor. Unfortunately, unemployment increases drug-use and crime, so that's on the rise because interest rates keep climbing, forcing people out of jobs and unaffordable mortgages (home loans are variable - no lock-ins for more than a few years)

Still, homelessness is nothing in comparison to the US, and there are numerous government-funded homes but the aging and impoverished populations are increasing faster than available accommodation.

Yet, the government is the US' lapdog, financing dumb-ass wars that have nothing to do with Australia and instigating fights with China (the hand that feeds Australia) to align with the failing US world order. There is no escape from empire.