Stuff Holdens. They were finished when they stopped manufacturing here. Importing Opels and calling them Holdens was pathetic. And, yes, building submarines is ridiculous. Military equipment is about our defence, not providing jobs for heavily unionised workers, particularly when the subs won't be ready before 2050, and will cost three times more than proven, off the shelf, American or Japanese vessels. And, a space industry in SA leaves one gobsmacked. We need to make things that real people need and want. The mooted reopening of Fauldings is a good example that would help us shake off the dependence on China for pharmaceuticals is a good example.

And what about the money we pay our politicians? Scott Morrison was getting $550 thousand per annum in July 2019. We are not getting our money's worth there, either. And, it's just too depressing to start on the cost of electricity any interested manufacturer faces in Australia.

Scott Morrison was getting $550 thousand per annum in July 2019.
ttbn,
I never once heard any complaints when Rudd's went from Howard's $295,000 to $508,000.
But that's chicken feed in comparison to some Judges, Heads of Departments, Uni Chancellors & Gawd knows what others on 600-800 or even a Million Grand/annum !
I don't give a damn what anyone says but in my book no Public servant should ever be on more than the PM, particularly if they're no good at their jobs !
If private enterprise want to pay themselves huge salaries then they should be made to manage that without Negative Gearing/write-offs !
Hopefully, COVID-19 will make their antics a lot harder !
The loss of manufacturing here only has one culprit, Unions !

Its always a little offensive when people suggest Australians don't have the ability to build the finest cars, tanks and aircraft carriers in the world.

Several things. We lost our car industry because the power bill became greater than the wages bill!

What should've happened was the conversion of the Holden motor company, to a co-op with large employee participation, even were that needed local, state/federal government support/patronage.

Instead of protective tariffs. Energy bills could have been reduced to the lowest in the world and (increasingly automated) production converted to electric. With new, carbon-free, world's safest, cleanest, cheapest power, i.e. dispatchable nuclear power! As a proven beyond doubt, concept!

I mean range was once the limiting factor. But the genius of cling wrap thin, underlay graphene highways, means an electric vehicle equipped with a magnetic induction plate, can be charged on the go on any part of any graphene highway or byway. Melbourne to Darwin without stopping to recharge, doable in a self-driven, autonomous vehicle!

And given a modicum of intelligence at the helm as opposed to hidebound, tin-eared, recalcitrant, nincompoop idealogues? The government would understand, that this is our future along with the carbon-free nuclear energy! Our last models that rolled from our production lines were as good as anything produced anywhere in the world!

And given this industry is restarted a the suggested model, could be again! While we still have the local expertise!

As for submarines? Could be the worlds fastest, safest and most deadly if refitted as nuclear powered that instead of torpedoes, carried half a dozen mini-subs equipped with underwater capable RPG's

And given the minis would be made from stronger than steel acrylics, and powered by steam venturies, invisible to all current technologies and able to eyeball their potential targets with human eyes and night vision?

Via a shipbuilding co-op, we create for defence and export to the world, purposes!

I submit, if we come out of the pandemic, with this as our first principle priority/goal and with if needed, helicoptered money? We will not have to endure a depression or even a recession. Particularly if we extend that principle to all new industries and missing self-reliance, manufacturing!
Alan B.

Individual: Hear, hear and well said!

Take care and stay safe.
Alan B.

Militant unions have been the bain of all civilised economies the world over!

Say what you like, explain away what you like? But all destroyed as exporting, income-earning entities at the altar of industry destroying, militant union demands! Most Australian unions are free of this industry destroying bastardy. But not all!

The only industries or enterprises never ever sullied by unions, were and remain, co-ops! Given we convert our economy to this free-market private enterprise model? DEAL OUT THE UNIONS FOREVER!

Co-ops were the only, private enterprise, free-market business models that survived the great depression largely intact!

And have no equal in private or public enterprise for productivity, or indeed, the best possible wages and conditions!

Labour will not support them or help them start up. Given that would end the rivers of gold that flow from them or indeed the Brutish BS rhetoric?

And they very reason we ought to install them whenever and wherever we can!

Many hibernating enterprises will restart all but crippled and in terminal decline, unless they ask their workforces to become their junior partners, who then will share a known percentage of available profits and do their level best via extreme self-interest to not just refloat their enterprises, but ensure they rebound to, much, much more than they were, via maximised efficient productive outcomes and with the very flexibility and load sharing needed to succeed beyond what a pandemic crippled enterprise, could ever in their wildest dreams, expect or realise.

When they do see this reality, will understand why it was that only co-ops almost alone survived the Great Depression or why the Celtic economic miracle took a basket case, Irish economy and turned it into the economic miracle it became before it was cruelled by debt-laden foreign real estate investors!

And something we need to exclude, once we are again a productive, income-earning and tax-paying inclusive economy/society!

We understand, we are all in this together! And in truth always have been! But, blinded by often idiotic ideologies and the hidebound idealogues, driven by their insane imperatives
Take care and stay safe
Alan B.