The Nationals had a prayer meeting at one of their recent conferences, specifically for RAIN.

We have heard much about 'this years wheat crop will be devastated Sheep and cattle having to be put down in vast numbers'

Now.. farmers are desperate.. "Lets all Pray" kind of thing.

Speaking from the perspective of a small manufacturer, who has been placed under increasing and unjust financial pressure from the unfettered, un tarrifed Chinese value added goods, I tend to look rather closely at such things.

First.. this. Tarifs which are targeted at countries with abusive and slave like labor rates, coupled with environmental abuse en masse, should not allowed to continue free of some kind of 'economic reminder' (such as tarrifs)

My own predicament is based on the following:

-Political decisions which REMOVE tarrifs from Chinese goods.
-The reason such tarrifs are removed are so we can seel RESOURCES and AGRICULTURE to the Chinese.
-The Impact of zero tarrifs on manufactured goods is to devastate and destroy our manufacturing skill base and infrastructure.
-This is clearly a deliberate CHOICE that politicians have made. i.e. 'sacrifice' manufacturing on the alter of Agricultural and Mining vested interest.

Putting this more bluntly, "We don't give a rats rear end if these decisions KILL you economically, as long as WE can sell our agriculture to China in ever increasing quantities"

So, I ask.. 'will God hear' those prayers for rain ?

Matthew 5
23"Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift."

Yep.. my sentiments exactly.

continued......

Perhaps, what God is saying in this 'worst drought on record' is...

a) The above.
b) Haggai the Prophet said to the Israelites who were neglecting the Temple.

"You have sown much, but you have reaped little;
you eat, but you do not have enough;
you drink, but you do not have your fill;
you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm;
and he who earns wages has earned them to put them in a bag with holes in it.

Thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways (your previous and present conduct) and how you have fared.

Perhaps that is the key.. CONSIDER YOUR WAYS.......

and one more quote if I may....

II Chronicles 7.14

"if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

If we manufacturers were content to just bask in the glow of inneficient tarrif protection and do nothing to improve our 'ways' and sought tarrif protection simply for that reason, these verses may equally apply to us. But they sure don't apply to me. You cannot prune past the rough exterior of the 'pip'... when all the flesh is gone, its gone.

I realize this might not be a very widely popular topic :) but I do believe it needs to be at least raised.
I've sent a copy to the Nationals also.

Cheers all.

So the ungodly Nationals are to blame for your Manufacturing Woes? I don’t see the connection with the elements, Agriculture & Resources are the Larger of the exports with Coal being the biggest & growing fast to the detriment to the environment , yet you won’t get anyone in the industry saying a word against it.
Do you believe that the Beattie Team is having water piped 200 kilometres from the Burdekin Dam to West of Mackay, just to wash coal! New Development for the Township of Moranbah are being asked, where is your water supply coming from, as they are overstretched already. At present the 10,000 strong mining town survives on a meagre 5ML water allocation. [source the Central Qld News Fri. Oct. 13th 2006] I have mentioned this dilemma at
http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?article=5002#57885

You may need to join us all in prayer. I do not believe tariffs have much effect on China, & if they want to dump their goods in Australia there is always people who believe these goods are a great bargain.
I was disgusted with “Hard Yakka” closing down their Ipswich Plant and transferring to China. Now most of our clothing is made over there. I have had satirical comment here on online opinion telling me make shoes. Now, all I am qualified for is serve herbal tea, on my front lawn. There will be lawn, when it rains.

Boazy,

Although as an Aussie Muslim we have a prayer for rain, can I suggest a more practical prayers:

1. A prayer for the government to have a water strategy.
2. A prayer to re-assess, modify and re-distribute the water catchment infrastructure.

Peace,

Could the Nationals be hoping Joh Bjelke Peterson is hearing their prayers for rain in Heaven and passing their requests on the big boss?

But perhaps they're wrongly assuming Joh is up there, after all, its a drought and getting very 'hot'. These prayers could well be forwarded on to another address?

Good gracious me, don’t you worry about that!

Trust you to lump together a couple of disparate ideas Boaz. Good fun working them through.

Firstly, I can assure you categorically that the prayers of the Nationals will have absolutely no impact on the presence or absence of rainfall. You should feel better about that, then.

Secondly, the decision to impose or remove tariffs has become in recent years a purely political weapon, one that is wielded at the highest level. Unfortunately it would appear that your business, Boaz, like mine, lacks the clout necessary to catch the politicians' attention. Whether we like it or not (and we small business people assuredly don't) politics and big business operate hand-in-glove to determine where and how tariffs should be applied.

However, I would also like to point out that the general public is fundamentally driven by their hip-pocket, especially at election time. The attraction to government of allowing imports from low-wage countries is that it also has the effect of lowering our own cost-of-living, i.e. raising our living standards. This is a powerful message on the hustings, and "Smirks" Costello will not forbear from repeating it.

So, the Nationals are simply performing their patriotic duty in raising the odd, pointless prayer.

While providing local manufacturers with incentives to continue in the face of cheap imports would actually be unpatriotic, since it will guarantee that we, the consumer, pay more than we have to.

Until such time as the overseas players have raised the standard of living of their own people to a level where they are no longer cheaper, we will have to grin and bear it.

But hey, that won't be long. And just think how good we will feel, knowing that we will have contributed to it so selflessly.