Unless Craig Emmerson is an economic dunce, he should be aware that there is a world of difference between Industry protection and protectionism.

If Abbott is guilty of hypocrisy then so is labor, with hundreds of millions of assistance to to the car and steel industries while preaching free trade.

The best we can do for the non mining sectors is to help them become competitive by removing costs and obstacles to their operations such as the productivity crippling fair work act and not implementing the carbon tax.

Shadow Minister it has got to a stage you and I should talk about my garden.
Planting in some soil is wasting time,nothing will grow there.
Over use of fertilizer can kill but rarely benefits the garden.
Just heaping it on is not gardening first plan.
Then dig.
Put all the ingredients needed for that intended plant.
Time to switch the subject, for 30 years, strangely, this may upset you, both party's have warned us we can not prop up Manufacturing.
I think any form of protectionism, including the car one is unwise.

But we can stop China saying in its purchasing contracts, they,not us, must supply steel or even the concrete railway sleepers we make so well.
You under stand, that will see higher prices for the Australian firms buying Australian?
Who pays them,to spend more here,us?
Do we tax Chinas product and risk the same on our every export.
Do you think reducing wages and conditions/living standards of workers is the answer?
We,this country, export our best industry's ,we did it with solar cells.
The answer there would have been tax breaks.
Jobs are not yet so bad we should panic.
We should debate do we want to be a trading nation or a insular one protecting jobs that can not produce comparative results.
Or should we not care, just flog dead horses using this problem to defame one side?

What has a carbon tax got to do with it, if it is introduced it won't come into effect until mid next year.
Manufacturing is in decline not only in AU, the USA & Britain is in the same boat.
Manufacturers can see the massive profits to be made by moving to China.
No matter what you suggest, it will not stop a decline.
When Chinese wages get to big for hungry manufactures they will go to Bangladesh or somewhere else.
As usual SM is talking sheet.

Manufacturing is in decline, but it is not dead. I am busy constructing a near $1bn manufacturing plant to produce for a niche product. This is still profitable, but with a rampant carbon price may not be in 20 years.

Keeping the cost of business low means more plants will be built to replace ones that close. Keeping costs high means that manufacturing declines faster or dies.

Shadow Minister you are one of a few project managers who post here.
Two with in 100klms from my home are still mates of mine.
You if you are in charge of purchasing and project costs will know.
It is more than difficult based on price to use much Australian steel rio bar is much cheaper so to most steel.
Concrete products are different bridge spans and planks can, however come from interstate.
They are mostly here at least now made by firms owned by construction ones.
So are trucked right past local made ones.
Manufacturing is not dead.
But never in our history had to contend with the dollar this high.
Reducing our floating dollar on purpose is insane.
Fighting for free trade while demanding special deals, for Apples steel, anything is ,well surly lets follow one set of rules.
My answers? reduce tax's for industry's like steel, so as to bring prices within reach of local construction.
Challenge in court contracts demanding over seas supply on our projects.
But we just must! confront this issue looking for the best out comes for Australia and our workers.
AG, after Gillard, your government will be confronted by this same problem.
We are in a poor state if every issue has to become a rag our party's fight over like a dog!
Our two biggest ex Australian firms commit to buy local even from very small manufacturing, but mass use of over seas steel is a concern

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/opinion/abbott-must-walk-away-from-economic-populism/story-e6frgd0x-1226125879103
This link interests me, my minds eye see one poster here trying to chew on a very big and hard stone in reading it.
Not from a paper or author I look to for balance.
Hardly a Labor drone,just the opposite in fact.
Is it related to a thread about Gillards recent meeting with this rags boss?
Or the impending opening of the British Parliament and the scrub fire about to start there?
Maybe it links to a internal review, run by the media giant it self starting soon.
It is my view all that may have played a roll.
But that it in fact is a glimpse , a lifting of one edge of a carpet so long needing a clean.
It is evidence my view Tony Abbott is as much, maybe more, a risk and a fake, as Julia Gillard.
I earnestly hope, dream, both Will be seen for the second grade leaders they are.
Hope we are looking at their backs long before an election.
Those who are not afraid of Abbott? should be he threatens Conservatism.