Some say it smells on the streets of Buenos Aires. And not just of the infamous dog shit that plagues the city, but for those who know well, of 2001. The smell has lingered since last December, when price increases and pension cuts resulted in people no longer being able to pay for their electricity. Now a larger section of the population can no longer afford food.

In Western Australia, problems aren’t there to be addressed, to be worked with creatively or innovatively – they’re there to be bulldozed, confronted, to prove our mastery of our beautiful and challenging environment. But it is only hostile because we make it so. After all, Perth was founded by the felling of a tree. It’s a cultural legacy that seems rooted in our bedrock and unable to be removed.

Recent comments from Prime Minister Tony Abbott about the 'lifestyle choices' of Indigenous Australians have drawn fire from all quarters. The storm can be seen on social media sites with the hash tag #lifestylechoices. It has created discussion, debate and derision about what constitutes a valid 'lifestyle choice' in Australia, and what doesn't; what Australians choose to fund with taxpayer dollars; and what we don't.