Soviet industrial relations will only make the 'choking' of productivity in Australia slightly worse that what the strangle hold net zero and expensive, unreliable energy has already done to productivity.

I suspect the Communists within the Labor Party want to choke productivity.

Sun Tzu says that if you take away what the enemy needs they will be forced to negotiate on your terms.

But there is a difference between negotiating on the basis of a long or short term relationship- therefore it's probably not possible to live peacefully in the same world as Communists.

They seem to see themselves as having nothing to lose- and so they terrorize normal people into submission.

Amusing to think- Maybe we can collect them like "stamps" and send them to St Barnard's Star on a multi-generational starship- then they can have their own tyrannical universe in their 1000 year exile.

Some Communist said- "Capitalists will sell you the rope that you hang them with". Traditionalists on the other hand perhaps don't want to sell Communists anything- because they understand that they would be supporting the enemy. Perhaps we should use the slogan- "Traditionalists of the world unite..."

Those who think within a fixed circle of ideas, limit the questions, and if the questions are limited, so also are the answers. It's not IR that's chocking productivity but the prohibitive cost of industrial energy.

Change that to 3 cents PKWH (MSR thorium) and you'll be stampeded in the rush to relocate by the energy dependant high tech manufacturers.

Good leaders will roll up the sleeves, get in a set the pace for their employees. Those that don't all too often have unrealistic expectations of what is doable. And if asked to set the pace are found seriously wanting.

See undercover boss to understand.

And that stupidity is compounded by tossing the older more productive and efficient worker on the scrap heap. And those replacing them not anywhere near as productive.

The second part of the solution is genuine tax reform, manifesting as an unavoidable flat tax of 15% and set above a generous tax-free threshold. Because there would be no exclusions/tax write off etc.

All tax compliance costs (averaging 7%) can be return to the bottom line. Meaning in adjusted terms the tax bill would be just 8%. Yet the ATO would receive 2% more than now! And we'd have thousands more taxpayers than now, paying billions more bracket free tax!

Now that would be the icing on the cake for the relocating manufacturers and ensure productivity that would more than serve, self-reliant, self-defence.
Alan B.

I remember when QLD Premier Joh suggested a Flat Tax. Didn't the Labor gits scream blue murder & jump up & down !
Same with Howard's GST which saved Australia's bacon just like a Flat tax would !. the worst part is that, when Award wages became the Norm, Award performance & productivity didn't keep pace & none of the Unions ever addressed that !

This guy from the conservative side of politics, the managing director of Barton Deakin Government Relations a non productive mob of conservative supporting lobbyists. I note in his article Mr Alexander is very big on "flexibility" in the labour market, mentioning it several times. What is this "flexibility" that an anti-worker, pro-employer type would really be talking about? A "flexibility" demanded by conservatives like Mr Alexander is simply a euphemism for the more draconian practice of exploitation. Painting a rosy picture of an industrial world where big employers and little workers come together in peace and harmony to, in a very flexible way, nut out favourable working arrangement for both, defies the reality of the real world situation. Its not a level playing field and employers with the stronger hand will always seek to exploit workers to their advantage. The use of labour hire, casual workers and "employee-like" contractors, is designed not as ways of "flexibility", although they give the employer that as the ideal ways of reducing the overall wages and conditions of employees, nothing else.

If you are an employee, and the boss calls you in for a little heart to heart about your wages and conditions, and he starts talking about Mr Alexander's "flexibility", there is every chance you will walk out with a lot less than you had when you walked in.