I visited Australia and here's what I think Canada could learn from down under
Just like anywhere, living in Canada has its pros and cons.
I moved to Vancouver from the Philippines when I was four years old, and I was able to reap the full benefits of Canada’s healthcare and education system.
Having spent my twenties in Toronto, I’ve been able to appreciate and enjoy the diversity in culture, arts, food and landscape the country has to offer.
But that doesn’t mean that Canada doesn’t have room for improvement.
The biggest issue in the past few years has been the soaring cost of living here, whether it be unaffordable housing or outrageously priced groceries.
After visiting Australian cities, such as Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne, last month, I learned how other major metropolitan areas operate, and it was eye-opening in many ways.
From free transit to its tipping culture, I found myself wishing Canada would take a page out of Australia’s playbook when it comes to making life a little more affordable for its citizens.
Here are aspects I wish Canada would adopt from down under.
Relaxed tipping culture
Dejan Dundjerski/Shutterstock
We visited my uncle, who has lived in Australia for seven years but has also spent some time in Canada.
One of his reasons for preferring Australia is its less intense tipping culture compared to Canada.
According to Australian news outlet SBS, tipping is voluntary down under.
In Canada, a minimum 15% tip is basically expected at sit-down restaurants, and the unspoken rules of tipping have extended that expectation to coffee shops, food delivery and even personal care services.
One restaurant in Canada was even called out for forcing tips by hiding the “no tip” option on its debit machines. Give our Canadian gratuity guide a read to see all of the nuances of tipping in the True North.
So, it was quite refreshing when we went out for dinner our first night in Brisbane and didn’t have to pay an extra 15-20% on our bill.
“In Australia it’s more an expression of your appreciation of better customer service. For example, if you’re in a restaurant and the waiter gives you excellent service and the meal’s great, a lot of people tip to show their gratitude,” Bill Dee, who has worked with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, told SBS.
Higher minimum wage
A food court at a mall in Melbourne, Australia (Isabelle Docto/Daily Hive)
The reason why tips aren’t necessary in Australia is because the country has one of the highest minimum wages in the world.
The national minimum wage in Australia is set to increase to A$24.10 (C$22) per hour in July (up from A$23.23).
Even in Canadian dollars, that’s still more than Canada’s highest provincial minimum wage, which is $19 in Nunavut. And it’s a lot more than the federal minimum wage, which was raised to $17.30 per hour in April.
We had a conversation with an employee at an ice cream shop in Melbourne, and when we told her about minimum wage in Canada, she was shocked.
She told us that no one in Australia would accept a job that pays lower than $20 an hour. She’d been working at that shop for eight years herself and said she gets paid $35 an hour with her experience.
Not to diminish the hard work that goes into running an ice cream shop, but some Canadians who work in offices for big companies don’t get paid that much.
Free transit in some cities
A tram in Melbourne (ben bryant/Shutterstock)
When I first moved to Toronto in 2013, the TTC fare was $3 in cash and $2.65 via a transit token. Now, it’s $3.30 for a single-trip fare with a window of just two hours.
It might not seem like a huge jump, but if you use the TTC frequently, it definitely adds up to your monthly expenses.
We spent the majority of our trip in Melbourne, where my uncle is based, and getting around the city centre was an absolute dream, thanks to its Free Tram Zone.
Public Transport Victoria
Melbourne is the capital of Victoria, which is known as Australia’s “Education State” because it’s home to many universities.
Imagine being a student, paying thousands of dollars in tuition fees, and not having to worry about adding another cost to your daily expenses just to get from one end of the city to the other. I’m tearing up just thinking about it.
Melbourne isn’t the only Australian city that has free transit options.
Adelaide has a free bus that provides transportation to popular attractions, shopping, dining, education and services destinations. Brisbane has a similar free city centre bus service, and Perth also has a Free Transit Zone for buses and trains.
Some Canadian cities also have free transit options, like Calgary’s Free Fare Zone, a feature more major metropolitans in Canada should adopt, in my opinion.
Are there things you’ve noticed in other countries that have made you go, “I wish this happened in Canada”?
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