Oz Local manufacturing

[SlideRulz]

We need a propper business plan for the entire nation's future.
We lurch from one inept gov't to the next, Lib's cut spending to ballance the books without any thought to the future and then Labor come in and spend it like drunken sailors again without any thought of our future.
The rest of the world don't need or want our cars, simple.
The rest of the world will always need and always want our resources inc our potential for food production, stop selling off our land to our competitors.

[Nathan S]

The rest of the world don't need or want our cars, simple.

Not really true. Australia makes the best RWD mainstream production cars in the world - the Ford Taurus (remember them?) was the biggest selling car in the USA for years - but it tanked here because the Falcon was simply better (and even the AU was less ugly).
The big problem - and this was particularly true for Ford - that the American powers-that-be were looking after their countrymen, rather than promoting the best product they had at their disposal. Dearborn blocked Ford Australia from exporting the Falcon.
Have a look for international reviews of any Falcadore in the last decade - they rave about them, even the fairly ordinary offerings like the VX Commodores.

[Nathan S]

The Documentary "The Take" is highly recommended viewing for anyone who has an interest in such things.

[FourstrokeForever]

The good ol USA....land of the free, land of the brave. As long as your not Hispanic, Mexican, African American or Native Indian. The jews don't like those people. Oh, and you will work for $3.50 an hour and live in a box so the nation can prosper. Economic powerhouse of the world....that just keeps on printing money to stifle the ability of competing nations to export their goods because of an over inflated dollar. And while we're at it, we'll let all our economic forecasters speculate on anything that moves. It doesn't matter if it causes the world economies to destruct, we've got your back. "Tell ya what, if you tell the American people it was YOU who caused millions of Americans to lose their jobs and homes by funding bogus debt, we'll only fine you 50 million bucks....we know your only worth a couple hundred billion dollars"......

Can we trust American owned companies to buy up Aussie ASSETS? You bet we can. Afterall, the yanks have always loved us Aussies. Our accents are so cute and we ride kangaroos to school. They just make a few errors in judgement every now and then and SCREW perfectly well functioning business's by propping up their American subsidiaries.

It's just like WW2. While our young men, fathers and grandfathers were fighting a war on foreign soils, mostly to defend other nations, the yanks come here and have a splendid time SCREWING our women and then flucking off..

[Lewis]

I'm really enjoying this banter.WE didn't let this happen, the government did. This is democracy at work,there are some countries where we wouldn't dare slag off at the ruling govt party.I've also done some really crap jobs to make ends meet.I'm glad to be on a pension now,at least I don't need to worry about losing my job, however I often think of what the future holds for our great country.Is there a solution?

[FourstrokeForever]

And then there are the Asians. Well,contrary to popular opinion, at least the majority want to be successful at whatever they do. Failure is not a word familiar to most Asians. And they work very hard for failure not to happen. Sure, they took a lot of what used to be manufactured here and made it cheaper, but whose fault is that? I'd suggest that all is fair when the door is left unlocked to move on in. Not only was the door left unlocked, but our screwed in the head politicians held the door open with concierge like efficiency. They even removed tariffs so it was (is) easier to sell their goods here.

And today, what do I hear. The good people at Toyota wanted to have a meeting with their employees to discuss some possible changes to the work place agreement that was signed in 2011. Well, even after all the shit our manufacturing industries have been coping for the last decade, the union rushes into court to get an order to stop the meeting taking place. WTF? Have AMWU got their heads in the sand or what? Once there's no manufacturing left in Australia, WTF is the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union going to do for a job? Probably come around to my place and try to force me (and others like me) to join the union or they will shut me down for making a new brake pedal for my beeza... And while they are here, they may as well fine me for not having my electric tools and extension leads tagged. "No covers on the fluro lights huh, that's another fine". "Oh, where's your pie warmer? Fined". "Where's your yellow safety lines around dangerous work areas? Fined". "Is that your meal room? Fined. "We'll be back next week to make sure all these issues are addressed". "We've been kind enough to let a few things slide for now and trust you will have them addressed before we return". HAVE A GOOD DAY

No wonder the country is in such a mess. If it isn't the politicians screwing us every way they can, the unions that are paid to supposedly help us keep our jobs screw our employers every time they can...just for shits and giggles.

[topari]

This is democracy at work,...

We only know what is going on by our forth estate the so called Main Stream Media. If the electorate had any idea just how criminal some of our politicians are, they would never obtain public office.  The Internet and social media is starting to change this. Gillard and the AWU scandal is almost going to court now. I suspect the Hawke era would not made two terms in the internet age.  We have just witnessed a minority Government perverting the course of justice with the Craig Thomson matter. What we have seen first hand is Institutional Corruption. Michael Williams, it is claimed stole some 20 million dollars over 7 years. He was the president of the ALP and his daughter worked in Gillard's office. He was part of the ALP family tree.

So democracy is not really working. We have an almost impossible task trying to make an informed decision.

[Nathan S]

Topari, you're a nut job.

Have a look at where the Craig Thomson case is up to, and then come and tell me what is really going on.
If the Gillard/AWU beat-up amounts to anything, then I will be VERY surprised.

[topari]

Topari, you're a nut job.

Have a look at where the Craig Thomson case is up to, and then come and tell me what is really going on.
If the Gillard/AWU beat-up amounts to anything, then I will be VERY surprised.

Fair Work bounced the Thomson brief around for 3 years. It was 6 weeks work tops. Had Thomson fallen, Labor would have lost Government.  Labor is still paying his legal fees.
Gillard / AWU is tricky. If it does go the distance I too will be surprised.  The case does show what sort of person she is. I did not know she was fired for S&G for her conduct.

[Nathan S]

C'mon Tom, what about the rest of the Thomson story? Like the bike where the magistrate is increasingly ripping it into the prosecution for not having any sort of case? Or where the reported $500,000 is down to less than $20k? Where his "pornographic movies" may have actually been the Sound of Music?

I think the bloke is a grub, but no more than, say, Barnaby Joyce...

Gillard/AWU, Thomson/HSU and Slipper/cab charges are all complete beat-ups. The dollar value of Slipper's cab charges (and I strongly suspect that he did misuse them) is WAY below all of the exposed LNP MP's travel rorts. And yet we're supposed to believe that Slipper is Satan's right-hand man, while the multitude of LNP MPs were just misunderstood?

[80-85 husky]

holden (GM) have pulled the plug locally now that the Thai factory isclose to coming on line.

costs have driven them offshore... unions, work practises and excessive OH&S requirements along with stupid electricity prices have shot the dog.....

[jimson]

That's cool let the bastards go off shore. Just DON'T LET FORD OR HOLDEN SELL CARS BACK TO AUSTRALIA IN THE FUTURE.if where not good enough to make there cars there not good enough to have our money. Getting back to the government making a car manufacturer we as tax payers have already paid for our manufacturing plants by giving the bastards our TAX money to keep them going. If the government had balls it would tell the both companies to leave now. So then we could take over the plants we've already paid for. Jimson

[FourstrokeForever]

That's cool let the bastards go off shore. Just DON'T LET FORD OR HOLDEN SELL CARS BACK TO AUSTRALIA IN THE FUTURE.if where not good enough to make there cars there not good enough to have our money. Getting back to the government making a car manufacturer we as tax payers have already paid for our manufacturing plants by giving the bastards our TAX money to keep them going. If the government had balls it would tell the both companies to leave now. So then we could take over the plants we've already paid for. Jimson

I don't know about taking over the plants, but we could certainly find some use for the proving grounds at Lang Lang 
Imagine how much fun the VMX community could have in their....We could have a track for every era of bike. Hell, we could even bring along our road bike brothers and sisters for a blast on the asphalt.

[Sorelegs11]

Anyone who has ever been self employed or run a business that is paid for by themselves are the only ones who will understand what a F##kup the Aussie gobernment hoop jumping excercise is.
Untill a system where the people who put up the cash to open and run busineses are treated and rewarded better than those that they employ this country will continue to run in reverse.
The is one thing that I have never understood in this joint is the attitude of the worker and the unions that once you get a job that the job is YOURS, what a crock.
The "worker" complains about everything but thr reality of it is that you do not have to go to a job that you do not like or that cannot pay what you want, Quit and get another one.
Your pay packet is the reward for your effort, not for just turning up.
We have all stood beside the bludging asshole who whines and bitches about actually earning his crust but puts more effort into avoiding the task at hand than it takes to do the job.
When the unions start to understand that little profit means NO investment there will be little industry in this country.
The current situation in Newcastle sees the state leasing the port for the next 100yrs, people are up in arms but the gov knows that their own legislation makes the running of this enterprise too much hard work so they will let someone else suffer the pain and just tax the ass of them.
Licenceing, OHS, workers comp, holiday loading, layers of taxation, penalty rates, maternity leave, sick pay,Daily tool box meetings, requirement of a ticket to do everything but fart, excessive regos, fuel costs, electricity costs, environmental levies, fire services levies, terrorist levies, emergency services levies on all insurances, and more,and they wonder why business is going broke.

[VMX247]

Its not all doom and gloom for Australia.
Wedding industries going to pick up soon