Oz Local manufacturing

[topari]

At little reminder of just how our leaders use resources...

Childcare wage rise used to lift union numbers

THE allocation of Labor's $300 million fund for wage rises for childcare workers was deeply unfair and the sector's peak union used it to boost its membership, an independent report has found.


http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/policy/childcare-wage-rise-used-to-lift-union-numbers/story-fn59noo3-1226779287791

Could have used this money to bail out ..... ?

[Nathan S]

There's a no politics rule here, Tom.

While you're flouting it, I will point out that the "independent" report was specifically commissioned by the Abbott government, just like the "independent audit" they had on their policy costings before the 2010 election, which was later totally denounced and saw the "auditors" fined for professional misconduct.

[FourstrokeForever]

Seems to me the only thing extra taxes buy is better conditions for our so called leaders. Who else gets 15% pay increases each and every year? And that is guaranteed to index each and every year.
The only way to help manufacturing in this country is to put tariffs back on the agenda and start making other countries pay for the privilege of being able to sell their goods here. That way, local industries might be able to compete price wise. We have to pay to send our goods virtually anywhere. Our markets are dictated to by foreign countries. All in the name of "fair trade agreements"..... I ask, who is it fair for?
And being the multi-cultural society we are, there are no allegiances to buying Australian made. Mum and dad with 3 kids that are struggling to make ends meet don't give a toss where something comes from or how long it will last, as long as it's cheaper than the next item.
There was one person who wanted to put a stop to all this free trade rubbish. And SHE was ridiculed beyond being reasonable and eventually thrown in jail just for good measure..... 

[Sorelegs11]

Tarriffs are a great start, especially on the $2 dollar shop crap that everyone buys, uses once and turfs it.
Then we get slugged with an environmental tax, sorry levie to bury the stuff!

The throw away, don,t repair it mentality has got me f##ked 

[topari]

There was one person who wanted to put a stop to all this free trade rubbish. And SHE was ridiculed beyond being reasonable and eventually thrown in jail just for good measure.....

And I remember very well who did the damage using of all things a "slush fund".

Anyhow as Nathan reminder me... over and out.

[kdx Geoff]

As a nation, we seen reluctant to protect our industries while other countries don't seem to have that issue.

The Button plan (for cars) was a positive step in its day towards a more efficient motor industry but the desire to have a 'level playing field' seems to be significantly ours alone and reducing tariffs on imports only make the imports more price competitive against local product. Hyundai started selling new 3 door excels for 13 grand in the 90's when Corolla, Laser and Pulsar were $20k. People also stopped buying used cars a couple of years old instead going to the cheaply made new cars and this too impacted local production

Once Ford decided to pull up stumps its not hard to see the conversation GMH would be well into and of course Toyota wont last as the only manufacturer here. These companies know what they're doing to maximise their profits and building cars in Oz is not the way to do that.

[Nathan S]

A different KDX-owning Geoff wins Post of the Thread for this one.

The question I have, is: Will people be happy paying more for things if we reintroduce tariffs?
Politicians of all brands seem very reluctant to even start asking the questions...

It's one thing to say "bring back tariffs to protect Aussie jobs", but it is another to be happy to pay an extra $15k for a base spec Commodore.

My memory is hazy on the Button Plan, but I think that making Holden and Ford internationally competitive was intended to open up export markets for both. This has t happened to any useful extent.
Ford particularly, was denied this by the bosses at Ford in the USA who actively stymied Ford Australia's export aspirations.

[firko]

The 'World Car' concept. Too little, way too late I'm guessing.

http://www.holden.com.au/corporate/exports
http://news.drive.com.au/drive/motor-news/us-media-laud-exported-holden-commodore-20131209-2z1ae.html
http://news.drive.com.au/drive/motor-news/holden-export-announcement-imminent-20120516-1ypyq.html

BUTTON PLAN....courtesy of Wikipedia
The Button car plan, also known as the Button plan was the informal name given to the Motor Industry Development Plan. The plan was an Australian federal government initiative, intended to rationalise the Australian motor vehicle industry and transition it to lower levels of protection. Industry consultation had begun in mid 1983 with the scheme announced, after John Button visited Japan to inform the car companies there of the contents of the plan, in mid 1984 with a proposed start date of 1985. The plan took its name from Senator John Button, the federal Minister for Commerce, Trade and Industry.

At the time of its inception, Australia's motor industry was heavily protected by import tariffs, and quantitative restrictions on imports or quotas which protected the assembly of thirteen models by various manufacturers. The Button car plan aimed to reduce this number to six models, with the aim of forcing industry consolidation. The overarching aim of the scheme was to make the motor vehicle industry in Australia more efficient by consolidation of resources, allowing the import tariffs to be gradually reduced. This in turn would theoretically expose the local industry to increased competition from imported products, fostering improvement in local vehicles and creating the basis for a competitive export industry.

The most obvious effect of the plan for the Australian car buyer was the appearance of badge engineered vehicles, where the same basic vehicle was sold by several companies under different names. Other approaches included the Ford Courier and Mazda B-Series utilities utilising Mitsubishi's 2.6-litre Astron four-cylinder engine, and a proposal to replace Mitsubishi's locally built Colt with a rebadged Toyota Corolla. This proposal however, never eventuated.

Holden initially teamed up with Nissan in 1984, where the Nissan Pulsar was sold as the Holden Astra. Later Pulsar and Astra models in Australia used Holden-sourced powertrains. This arrangement dissolved in 1989, and General Motors–Holden's and Toyota formed United Australian Automobile Industries (UAAI). The vehicles produced as a result of this joint venture, the Holden Apollo (Toyota Camry), Holden Nova (Toyota Corolla) and Toyota Lexcen (Holden Commodore) lasted until 1996 for the Holden-badged derivatives models, and 1997 for Lexcen.[1]

This sharing of models proved unpopular with buyers, and original models outsold their badge engineered counterparts.[2] The last of such models, the Toyota Lexcen (Holden Commodore), was dropped in 1997. Rather than share locally assembled models with other manufacturers, Holden, Ford, and Toyota decided to import fully built-up models from subsidiaries elsewhere in the world, mainly Europe and Japan. Mitsubishi Motors did not share models with other manufacturers during the period of the plan and ended Australian manufacturing in 2008; Nissan ended car manufacturing in Australia completely in 1994.

[FourstrokeForever]

A different KDX-owning Geoff wins Post of the Thread for this one.

The question I have, is: Will people be happy paying more for things if we reintroduce tariffs?
Politicians of all brands seem very reluctant to even start asking the questions...

It's one thing to say "bring back tariffs to protect Aussie jobs", but it is another to be happy to pay an extra $15k for a base spec Commodore.

My memory is hazy on the Button Plan, but I think that making Holden and Ford internationally competitive was intended to open up export markets for both. This has t happened to any useful extent.
Ford particularly, was denied this by the bosses at Ford in the USA who actively stymied Ford Australia's export aspirations.

Bringing back tariffs on any imported product will give Australian farmers and Australian manufacturers (while we still have a few) a more level playing field. If overseas competitors of any given product are charged a tariff, as Australia is when we export, then the price of their goods will rise, making the OS goods nearer to prices of our local products. Then, even if Aussie made is just a tad more expensive (you pay for quality) than the imported goods, most died in the wool Aussies will pay that little bit more. I know I would. I do at the supermarket. And I will continue to do so while ever there is industry in Australia...... No more politics from me.

[Nathan S]

I don't consider this to be a political issue - governments of both brands have failed us repeatedly on this...

I generally buy Australian when I can, particularly when it comes to groceries - It's amazing how difficult can be at times.
I am prepared to add a few dollars to my grocery bill every week, but that's different to facing the price of a new car going up by 20%... 

The hit to CPI and inflation would be political suicide, unless you had a politician with the balls the size of Keating's - and we haven't gone close to having one of them since Keating got the boot...

[FourstrokeForever]

We nearly had someone with Keatings kahoonas. Thing is, when SHE spoke her mind she was labelled a racist, a misguided moron, had no brains and was fiscally unaware. Then they threw her in the clink because of the R sole that was supposedly working with her. I lost faith in the political world from that moment on.

[pmc57]

We nearly had someone with Keatings kahoonas. Thing is, when SHE spoke her mind she was labelled a racist, a misguided moron, had no brains and was fiscally unaware. Then they threw her in the clink because of the R sole that was supposedly working with her. I lost faith in the political world from that moment on.

I think we will see the term HANSENISM written into our political history teaching books, she indeed was prepared to speak what others considered Not Politically Correct (NPC). She may have had a simplistic view of global trade and politics but she certainly attracted the attention of the every day Aussie voter with her views of what she thought was needed to "fix" the country. I do not agree with some of her speak but at least she had the balls to get up there and say her bit.

The current and ongoing "boatpeople" issue started with her, the massive voter following she gained by speaking out at turning the boats back frightened the crap out of the Libs and Labor to such a degree they took on a similar lean to try and get back the voters. It's developed to such a mess these days that both sides see "Votes in Boats" as something of a political Holy Grail and will fight to the death to get the upper hand.

The barrage of opposition to her views from her guttless political opponents preferring to seek any Aust Electrol Commission irregularities as a way of ejecting her from the political scene and having almost the entire national and international press against her meant she was doomed.

Perhaps Big Clive will resurect the political fight back into the average person in the street, at least he's prepared to take the fight to the highest level, and he has the financial backing to again get the others worried.


 

[FourstrokeForever]

Big Clive might just be the man for the job. Although if you listen to the "wireless", the journos are already trying to label him as a thug with his own interests at heart. If he was the owner of a fish and chip shop he'd be labelled a simpleton......What a load of rubbish. He is a self made man who has done a lot for the country already. I only hope the general population can see through the slander that gets put onto people like Clive. Long live Hansenism!

[Digga]

Well too late now, its all over with GM just announcing its Holden depatrue from Oz by the end of 2017. Wait to hear the same rumblings coming from the Toyota camp, as there is no way they will be able to operate here without the supplier framekwork that will be decimated by the loss of Ford & Holden. Goodbye Oz cars & welcome the Korean, Indian & Chinese clap to flood in !!!

[mick25]

Australia will end up like NZ full of strange jap imported cars they are cheap but