* I believe there are greater community and environmental advantages for local production.*

Well that is fine Pelican, so buy local. Not everyone agrees with
you. I am all for consumer choice, its those who want to deny
me that choice, that I have a problem with.

* Would you rather food security be in our hands or in the hands of an overseas competitor?*

The biggest food security is in diversity of production. If
Aus has a drought, you should not starve. But as it happens,
we export around 60% of our food, so you have food security from
that very fact. Not growing ALL our food here, has security
ramifications too. If Aus has a problem with production, we have
relationships and supply pipelines from other sources, ready
to go. You should remember not to put all your eggs in one basket :)

*We do not when the government under private sector pressure refuses to support consumer pressures for more honesty in labelling.*

If the Govt, elected by the people, caves in so easily to every
lobbyist, perhaps we need better Govt, not putting up shutters
to trade. In other words, trade is not the problem, Govt is.

*Can you tell me where the choices if for those who want to support local farmers?*

Once again Pelican, the problem is not trade, but poor Govt! I
happen to agree with you, I think food should carry a label of
origin, being specific.

*I am no longer a pen pusher*

Ah but you were and it shows. On OLO I constantly read this stuff
from so called academics, about how the world should be. More
local manufacture, more peasant farming etc. If any of them spent
a month on a factory assembly line or a month bent down all day
picking vegetables, they might realise why people avoid these
jobs like the plague, if they can. They are frigging hard work

I earn my income as a carpenter.

Yabby:
<On OLO I constantly read this stuff
from so called academics, about how the world should be. More
local manufacture, more peasant farming etc. If any of them spent
a month on a factory assembly line or a month bent down all day
picking vegetables, they might realise why people avoid these
jobs like the plague, if they can. They are frigging hard work>

Almost word for word the same speech you gave me once, and I've worked on factory floors most of my life. You seem to have an uncanny ability to get it wrongs, Yabs.

Squeers and Gilbert. I'm sorry that you took my comment personally,
but I mentioned neither of your names. I've been stating my opinion
on OLO for quite a few years now and I assure you that the place
is loaded with smartarse academics who don't know what hard work is.

BTW, there is a big difference between being a carpenter or
working on a manufacturing floor and doing the mindless repetitive
work of making cheap consumer products.

We still manufacture things. I'm told that the drill used to rescue
the Chilian miners is in fact an Australian made machine. When I
used to deliver airfreight to Perth airport, I was always amazed
at how many high value, specialised mining parts were being flown
out, to all sorts of destinations around the world.

Specialised manufacture can be quite interesting and indeed we
do it, from lasers to ferries. It is the mindless, boring,
repetitive stuff that we now have made in Asia. For good reasons,
the locals have other options.

As it is, our meatworks can't find enough locals to fill the jobs
on offer, they rely on 457 workers. Our manufacturers can't find
enough welders even now, as its not the most pleasant of jobs, if
you do the same, over and over, all day long. Specialised equipment
is a bit different.

So this notion that we will suddenly recreate a huge manufacturing
industry is flawed. You won't find the staff. Young people today
have other options. Even our shearing industry relies on New
Zealanders, as young Aussies simply don't want to do that kind
of hard, boring repetitive work.

Fruit and vegetables are another one. They rely on backpackers
these days, without them the industry would be stuffed.

But mechanise an industry, or have one where people get to sit in
front of a computer screen, then you will find willing workers.

That is the reality of it in Australia these days