""" People are entitled to fair and proper wages. """

First you're assuming we didn't pay our employees fair and proper wages, which is so far from the truth I can only laugh!

""" I say there is more to it than blaming a union. """

If you re read what I said, I wasn't only blaming unions!

""" If you were any good you would have found a solution to your short commings, instead of going overseas for cheap labour. """

Our products were number one in their class in Australia and also in some countries around the world, so the quality of our product had nothing to do with this and our production techniques were as advanced as was humanly possible, the whole plant was 90% automated.

When you finish deluding yourself into thinking that companies move off shore just for cheap labour then we can begin to move forward. Until then, I don't have the time or inclination to discuss it with you; sorry, but it's like arguing with a greeny whether we should shut down all the power stations, it's just a waist of breath.

""" These are the companies that need large excise imposed on them so more don't follow your solution. """

Fine, throw more bureaucracy at a problem created through over bureaucracy, way to go there Einstein! Those companies that have moved don't really give two hoots about the Australian market anymore. They're quiet happy servicing the rest of the developed world. Tax them all you like, it won't fix a thing, it's why they've left you for dust in the first place!

cont...

Right now I could start another company in Australia, but you know what? It's not worth it, I'm better off putting my money into overseas ventures where I'm not penalised for trying to help people. And I have no desire to help the current administrators of this country while they sponge off my hard labour at no reward to me or any of my fellow Aussies!

People are doing the math everyday and the numbers are not adding up in their favour, it's just not worth it anymore!

Maybe you think I've got a bad attitude and you're certainly entitled to your opinion, but I'm only one in the tens of thousands of dying middle class small business people in this country thinking this way and it's growing! It's in the millions and growing if you want to think globally!

At least there was a time where I put my money and my labour where my mouth is. I sacrificed heaps and it worked and was good for a while, but then they just made it too hard to be bothered, they wanted more and more and now a 100 people are out of work from my company alone! Remember we made up the bulk of employers in this country, we're nearly all gone!

Here's a great read as to how a lot of us feel!

It's American based but the same applies here.
http://www.wnd.com/index.php?pageId=195493

""" many more people are finding jobs right now """

But they're service based jobs which count for nothing in adding to the wealth of the country!

It's like you're living on a farm with your family, each of you have a task to perform to keep the farm running. One feeds the chooks but you only sell 10 chooks a week which brings in money to cover your rates. Throwing in another 1000 chook feeders to feed your current chook population without selling more chooks to another group does not make you more wealthy, but sure you've now given a 1000 people something to do!

*These are the companies that need large excise imposed on them so more don't follow your solution.*

579, your big stick tactics won't work too well in the real world,
I am afraid.

There is a great big world out there, other then Australia. People
smart enough to create and grow companies, will soon run rings
around you and move their resources and ideas elsewhere.

A carrot approach works far better, but learn the hard way.

Rechtub...and answer the question :) (I've just put my 'Oracle/prophet' hat on)

Where to from now ? "down...down...down" that's where.

Pericles says:

What will happen is that we will eventually run out of steam, and have to revisit all our assumptions about "the workforce".

No Pericles.. not quite correct.. it's not steam we will run out of it's coal and iron ore, or.. China will lose a large of of it's market, the USA which will be (is?) broke and given that it contributes 30% of world GDP this suggests it will not be very capable of buying the things the Chinese make, which in turn are made from 'our' coal and iron ore etc....sending us also into a spiral of economic doom.

We are all living on borrowed time Rechtub......look closely at the USA (specially over the next few weeks)...their political direction will determine where we all go.

But (hint) watch out for the 'wolves in sheeps clothing'...they are behind much of what concerns you...who do you think they are ? :)
They do actually have a name.

The very people you are talking about are would be liberal supporters.
The first thing they do is go offshore and give the benefit to a communist country.
The only reason for that is they can pay, poverty wages no OHS and whatever these backward countries are lacking.