Consumer confidence is down, manufacturing slumped in October, Europe is teetering on the edge of economic meltdown, unemployment is up, the government is running a massive deficit, we’ve had a credit downgrade, economic growth is stagnant, the gap between rich and poor continues to widen, the cost of living is rising for most people, and the country has experienced a succession of natural and man-made disasters in the last year.

Many people will be wondering if they might be better off across the Tasman.

But it’s much much worse in Australia. They were all out for 47.