rstuart, that was AWC or the Australian Wool corporation. Indeed
their wool mountain was a fiasco and goes to show what happens when
people ignore the realities of the global marketplace.

If you personally are paying more then your Govt carbon tax refund,
then clearly your income is so high that the Govt thinks that you
don't need help.

China and India continue to build coal fired power plants and I
have yet to see where they purposefully introduce legislation which
reduces the competitiveness of their key export industries.

Australian agriculture in terms of its key exports of grain and meat
production, is still competitive in global markets, due to constant
rises in productivity etc. Yet once again we see Govt knocking in
proverbial nails in their coffin to make them less so. Just ask
major meat exporters what the carbon tax is going to cost them.
They can't pass on those costs to overseas consumers, they are left
with passing them back down the supply chain to farmers.

Ironically this will mean an even greater reason to increase live
exports.

One would think that Australia would benefit from having export
industries other then just mining

@Yabby: that was AWC or the Australian Wool corporation.

Ah, so that was it. Thank you.

@Yabby: If you personally are paying more then your Govt carbon tax refund, then clearly your income is so high that the Govt thinks that you don't need help.

Indeed. So I am not so much different to the farmers after all - which was my point. Believe it or not, the most ardent supporters of the carbon tax are the richer members of our society who live in the cities. They are the ones most likely to vote for the greens, as an example. They get to pay the tax, but get very little compensation.

About now I hoping you are getting a glimmer of why I have so little sympathy for "poor struggling farmer - we are the ones being hit hardest" line. In reality the people most wanted this tax are the ones getting hit hardest. The lower income strata actually get an income boost from it. I know whinging is a occupation pass time for some country folk, but seriously at times you really need to grow a spine.

@Yabby: yet to see where they purposefully introduce legislation which reduces the competitiveness of their key export industries.

Then you should look harder. As always Wikipedia is a good place to start. They are starting from a abysmally low base. But we have from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environment_in_the_People%27s_Republic_of_China :

"With $34.6 billion invested in clean technology in 2009, China is the world's leading investor in renewable energy technologies."

That's one small point in a what is a remarkably long list.

rehctub,
And a very good start too .

I would also like to put junkies on top of that list. The Government gave heaps for mental health. Truth is its for people who have done it to themselves and others cant get help.
I would take $ from welfare to cover private health before they got it. I would like to go deeper into your farmers policy on another post - not much room here.

Whats your view on the death penalty for people who murder 3 year kids and little old men and ladies. I am quite interested to include that in my budget cut

Ironically this will mean an even greater reason to increase live
exports.

One would think that Australia would benefit from having export
industries other then just mining.
Yabby,

You lot never learn. We stuffed wool and we stuffed hundreds of country town by closing plants. The reason they buy live is jobs for their country.

Time we considered ours and put tariffs back in place so the red meat market can compete globally.

You always do this- I saw you comments about WA only on mining.

What happens when it runs out Yabby? We need to value add and create jobs and get our country areas up and running again.

Even a fair go for the red meat guys but NO NO you live exports want NO funding for opening plants here.

Why should Australian pay so Elders and others can have business off shore. Thats Aussie public money and it should be spent here in Australia.

Another thing and lets be very clear- most real farmers have gone. All thats left is the industry. They get very annoyed too if you call them farmers.

They will tell you please DO NOT call us farmers. We are not farmers.

Couldn't agree more. The industry "breed especially for Muslim markets KNOWING full well how these animals are treated.

They are the scum of the earth Taking Aussie jobs closing down Aussie plants and sending millions of animals to unbelievable cruelty.

Every cent of the tax payers $ going into feed lots is theft from the Australian people.

There time is coming.

Mind you NOTHING will make it ok. Even when it stops ( & it will)

Nothing will make up for the cruelty inflicted to these animals for years.

I think when AU is invaded one day the Animal will return in full force!

*Believe it or not, the most ardent supporters of the carbon tax are the richer members of our society who live in the cities.*

Absolutaly, because they can most afford it. They are usually not
involved in cut throat exports either, more like trading houses
with each other, or some local service industry. Go and ask an
operator like Fletcher or large beef exporters like Teys, what the
carbon tax will do for them. They, along with farmers, live in
the real world of global trade, unlike the majority of our city
slickers.

Around here last year, 75% of farmers lost money. These are not
piddly, small unefficient operators either, but some of the most
efficient wheat producers on the planet. They compete with the
taxpayers of the USA and EU to exist. Now you want to clobber them
some more, because you happen to be rich enough to afford it and
it does not threaten your lifestyle or business.

Yes, China is investing in clean technologies, before people choke
to death, they learnt that the hard way. But they are also adding
another coal powered electicity plant every few days.

We are free to scrap all aluminium smelting and build a couple of
nuclear plants, if that is what it takes to make the rich folk
feel better about themselves. We are free to encourage people to
use solar water heaters, LED tvs, the list goes on. But just
clobber a few export driven industries, many which are riding on
the edge anyhow, is hardly smart thinking, just for your feelgood
factor of the Greens.

@Yabby: Around here last year, 75% of farmers lost money.

So again you plead poor on behalf of your local sheep farmers. Are the flocks down to a sustainable size yet? I do have a lot of sympathy for them on a personal level, but on a business level - well they dug the hole they now find themselves in. Listening to you is like listening to a local telix machine repair man saying how the carbon tax is going to wipe him out. It may well do, but blaming the carbon tax is a bit rich. So is your constant complaining if our food exports keep growing, which seems likely.

Anyway, assuming they manage remain in the same poor position for 12 months, they will be one of those getting a little extra in their pocket from the government. I guess it will be transferred from my pocket to theirs. That must make your heart glow, Yabby.

@Yabby: just for your feelgood factor of the Greens.

No, it isn't just feel good. It is actually doing something about several problems ahead of us.

I guess you are consistent in an odd way. You say the world is headed for hell with over population, resource depletion, and pollution. And you say there is nothing you or anybody can do about it. And you behave in a way that ensures it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy. And having decided on that course of action, you say you don't care, because you can't control it anyway.

Not all of us are prepared to write ourselves off quite so easily.