Lucky Country

While these and similar issues are also troubling nations like Britain and the United States, they are particularly stinging to many in Australia, which has long seen itself as the “lucky country.”

Australia calls itself "the Lucky Country", he added.

The self-described “Lucky Country” is a stable democracy resting on a rich natural-resource base.

The nation sometimes referred to as “The Lucky Country” is known for its rock star economy: a gold-plated combination of rich natural resources, easy trade, a talented, well-educated work force and historically healthy immigration rates.

In his excoriating polemic, Horne noted: "Australia is a Lucky Country run mainly by second-rate people."