maids in australia, why not?

[A. Rayner]

Why won't the Austalian government let me have a maid from a poorer nation?
I have quite a few rug rats,love them dearly and to be at home to spend more time with them would be great, giving a job to someone who needs it is helpful, I know I'd be willing to do it if my family where in the same situation.
It's just so darm nice to smile at my kids and play more(no more cranky mum) than be so tired of all the work load in the house, my kids I'm sure would agree!

[KatyF]

One can get live-in Philippina maids in Australia (I believe Rose Hancock employs some), but the difference is you'd have to pay them decent wages.

[Joseph27]

See that’s the thing about Australia – they like to live with their head in the clouds and ignore the outside world.  Trade Union leaders could never understand it but in all reality it helps Indonesia and Indonesians as well.  By ignoring reality you suffer, and the world around you doesn’t benefit.  If I got an Indonesia maid – brought her into Australia – paid her $800 a month – she would have a great life – and be about to send money back to her family.  Everyone benefits except for the academic unionist living with his or her head up their a** and the government petrified that the servant will overstay their visa and want to permanently live in Australia.

Of course in theory hiring 3rd world labour is exploitation – and is not acceptable to a modern egalitarian society such as the one that exists in Australia???  Because Australia represents the best that a society can be – they wouldn’t let a portion of their population suffer from infant mortality rates only seen in the poorest African nations, the wouldn’t build concentration camps away from everything and then solve a refugee policy by sending innocent people into these barbarous places.  They wouldn’t lie to the public about these poor people throwing their babies in the ocean so that they could somehow enter Australia.  And of course everything would always be open and they would never allow their military to conduct operations aimed at concealing a most shameful public policy.  No and because Australia is so nice – there is no way we could allow foreign workers into Australia to be exploited as cheap labour.  No never, never .

[Sue C]

Joseph 27...I think that was all a bit uncalled for in a post looking for domestic help don't you?  

To the original poster, you can get help, I use BizziBeez (they have a website), I pay $63.00 a fortnight and they clean my three bedroom, 2 bathroom and far too many living areas house once a fortnight...they will even do ironing and washing if you ask.

This is less than I paid in Singapore ($40) a week, but is only fortnightly.

No ThirdWorld Labour just a franchised small business.

[Joseph27]

SueC - you are indeed correct - bad day yesterday and so my words indeed contained a bit of bite :-D

My family had a maid when I was growing up - but only twice a week.  Have no idea about that sort of thing now

[Hamburger]

Joseph loved your comments,bad day or not,thats what I think too.
P.S.Sue thanks for the support,but Joe did make did make me laugh!

[cksctz]

I worked as a cleaner in Australia when I was a student. Go ahead and get one, but pay them a decent wage. There are other options available in Australia, good flexible subsidized childcare, tax breaks for stay at home parents, footpaths which accomodate strollers, cheap hire for car seats and baby capsules. Cheap cars! parents parking at the supermarket, mums and babies sessions at the movies....I could go on. But I think the point is that these things are not available here, instead, women are brought in from poorer nations and paid substandard wages to fill this gap. People as commodities at bargain basement prices in Australia...I hope not!

[rolling ball]

I think the reason they wont let you get a maid from a poorer nation is because of immigration. By letting people do that, it will create a demand of people from those poorer nations to come to australia. That will encourage immigration which already is considered a problem by the Australian government.
Now I'm pretty sure that they will let you get a maid that is an Australian nationality, but I'm not sure if may would be willing to be a maid.
It's almost like singapore. You see a lot of imported maids here, but with a high unemployment rate, not many are willing do downgrade themselves to become maids.

[Panama Hat]

There are two ways to get domestic help in Australia - agencies and part-timers through the local rag.  

I had a nice portuguese lady helping out for a while, she charged $15,- per hour,  of course tax free.  

The reason you cannot being a maid from another country is that she would not fit into any prescribed immigration category, which includes non-immigration applications like domestic help.  

Better than when I was working in the US as an 'ALIEN', although with a green card, but that's another topic.

[Joseph27]

This post is back - I wrote the initial thing in April last year.  Must admit I still wouldnt mind bring a maid to Australia  

When I go to KL I am getting my families servant from Jakarta and taking him up.  Just to show that I'm not a complete asshole I am ensuring that he is educated and continues to develop his skill set.  Of course as he will be able to earn an executives wage in Jakarta this money will ensure his long term success.

That is the thing about servants up here - they are doing what the rest of us expats are doing only on a smaller economy of scale.  We may be talking of wages $15K a month versus expenditure of $13K - where as they may be getting $500 with expenditure of $100.  $400 equals Rp4million x 5 years = 20 million. ie enough for a house back in the kampung.  

Solving poverty doesnt come by giving money to world vision - they give around 30% to 50% to the poorest folk who will always be poor.  I would rather give a percentage of my wage to poorer people who show that they want to work and make a go of their lives.