Alright then; first I should remind you that "Sicko" is a film with an agenda so it's somewhat one-sided. Also being Australian I'm probably biased so take what I say with a grain of salt.
So, education is free from kindergarten to high school, (there may be some small service charges but nothing to be too concerned about). University is subsidised by the government for Australian citizens and permanent residents so you pay only a fraction of the cost. Also Australian citizens can get a government loan for their fees which is paid back as a percentage of your wage. There's no interest on that and you can take as long as you want to pay it. Also students 16 years and older are eligible for government benefits depending on their parents income. Students over the age of 25 can get benefits based on their own income and net worth. It's enough to live on but not much more.
Health care is completely free including major operations, hospital stays etc. Some elective surgery may have a long waiting list though. Dental care is not included in that, but for minor work the costs are not prohibitive. I think the last time I went to the dentist to have a tooth removed cost me about $30 or so. Universal health care is the shit.
Unemployment benefits are available for permanent residents and citizens also. There is no time limit for these but if a person is on the dole for a year or more they will have do take part in courses run by the government or get special assistance, (basically someone who looks for jobs for you or helps you to apply for jobs). Some people may end up having to work for the dole, (which kinda sucks but you could be lucky and get on the job training), the hours are calculated at minimum wage level so you only work for what you get paid not any more than that, (maybe 20 hours a week or less).
Crime rate is generally a lot lower than the States and UK. Some area are not so great but nothing is comparable to the worst of those two countries. There are some areas with drug problems, (mostly heroin and ice), but if you choose not to live in those areas then it's basically very safe.
Finding a job can be an issue which is why I asked what your skills or qualifications are. Some skills are in short supply so for a person with those skills finding a job would be quite easy. If you're not fussy then there's always lot's of crappy jobs in factories, or labouring but that's not really desirable. One issue in immigrating to Australia is getting the visa. It's usually based on what skills you have or how much money you're willing to invest. You can find out more at the Australian government website for the department of immigration. It was
www.immi.gov.au but it may have changed. I'll check it later or you can do a google search.
The cost of living is fairly high but not as high as Europe and wages are generally commensurate. Housing costs have risen a lot in the past few years so they are relatively high. I think an average wage is roughly $40,000 to $50,000 a year but a lot of people earn less than that. Like I said, if I know what you do I can give you more info. The cost of a house in Melbourne, (Sydney is a lot more expensive), ranges from about $250,000 in the outer suburbs through to $400,000 closer in or more. It depends what you want and where.
As for racism, it does exist of course but it's not the issue it is in other parts of the world. Generally, people are accepted regardless of their background. As for being an American invader, funnily enough being black is an advantage there, (not that being white is going to get a man in trouble or anything). I guess the negative perception of some Americans, (i.e. thanks to Bush), is reserved for whites. basically what I mean is: if you're down to earth and don't take yourself too seriously, people will respond positively to you.
I could say a lot more and if you have more questions, please ask. If you want to go into more detail PM me and I'll give you my contact details. Good luck.
})
