<< The government could readily borrow say $10 billion to establish a National Development Corporation (NDC)…

Harold, I concur that something like an NDC would be a good idea. But $10b ??

An organisation like that wouldn’t take much money to run at all, would it?

It would basically just be a collection of experts from all the relevant sectors, who would work out strategies with a firm scientific, economic, social and environmental basis….which as you say would surely be a thousand times better than leaving it all up to a small set of numbskulls in the government!

However, it should surely be an NSC. A National Sustainability Corporation.

The governments’ thinking and that of most experts… and yours too Harold…. is still wrong-headed in seeing only development, growth, expansionism…. and apparently not seeing the importance of slowing down the demand for everything, the ever-increasing pressure on all our services, infrastructure, resource base and environment…. and striving for a stable population and a sustainable society.

The CSIRO was very good on all of this sort of stuff in its submission to the National Carrying Capacity Inquiry almost 20 years ago in 1994.

Perhaps they should be the organisation to lead the charge with a new NSC.

An NDC as you seem to envisage it would apparently only be dealing with one side of the all-important economic equation – the supply side. What we need is just as much attention to be paid to the demand side. If we had that, we’d definitely be on the right track to a healthy future. If we didn’t, all we would be doing is chasing the tail of continuous rapid growth and basically not getting anywhere.

Perhaps one needs to address why manufacturing etc. is going " pear shaped " before getting the government to raid the superannuation funds.

Perhaps one may ask the question: why don't we already have these high technology " start up" companies already in business over here?

How about looking at the cost structure imposed on businesses and that includes the level of wages , land etc. government taxes and regulations.

If the idea is "that good" why not go to a venture captalist for funding as they will ensure, befor parting with the investor funds, that the business case is sound ... This approach does not seem to be a strong point of government.

A decision was made long ago that we dig holes in the ground and trade in houses!

kilmouski.