SM Banjo, Bazz I started the thread to highlight my view, it is a fraud.
It has the smell of Gillard or the fool that has been writing policy for her from her first days after the knifing, useless as the proverbial on a Bull.
I continue however to rebut the view our debt is other than manageable.
Compare it with America, England, Greece, Spain, Ireland.
Lets not forget the GFC it will return one day, our world can not forever live on credit.
We can create jobs, but first we must under stand many of the 5% do not want them.
We import 547 visa holders now, and do not see we have 5% unemployed, why?

I'm just not sure about this one. I agree that we should provide opportunities for all Australians to find employment, but the reality is that we are now a cog in a global economy and perhaps we're not spinning quickly enough to keep up.

At the moment, we have TV ads asking us to buy Australian products, even if they cost a little more, to avoid putting Australians out of a job. It's a noble sentiment, and I hope it takes off.

But is it a losing battle? In one ad, we have a farmer asking us to pay a little more for his pears than we would pay for imported ones. What is going wrong in our production and distribution chains that it is cheaper to bring pears in from overseas than it is to grow them and sell them locally? Is it that the value of a pear in our global market - labour and all - is much lower than we are being asked to pay for them?

Australians want jobs that will sustain our livelihoods. Our livelihoods are made more expensive by supporting Australian businesses, which means that the workers who are competing with cheap foreign labour need to earn more in order to sustain themselves. Sad though it is, perhaps it's time to invest in sectors other than manufacturing and primary industries? I love the notion that Australia is supported by - and supports - the working man, but in a global economy, the work done by the working man is valued far less than the price charged by the Australian worker to do it. Will that be sustainable forever? Unless we can build a niche in which Australian workmanship is recognised as being of a high enough quality to command a higher price, Australian manufacturing will have to rely on a resurgence of sentimental support among Australians for Australian Made products.

Not sure if any of that makes sense - sorry if it doesn't!

The big problem is SHE just does not listen to people, here is example.

http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/gillard-warned-numbers-wont-add-up-20130219-2eplf.html

THE Gillard government's innovation and jobs package was launched this week despite warnings from its industry department and the tax office that the $1 billion saving at the heart of the policy might never eventuate.

She does not even listen to the tax dep't.

Bring on an earlier election to get rid of these fools.

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/opinion/political-news/gillard-warned-numbers-wont-add-up-20130219-2eplf.html
I came to post the same link, to a different paper.
Other links could have been posted, including the wish Bill Shorten act.
Maybe withdrawing his suport for Gillard.
I am aware of the conference under way, AWU Australia's best union, unable however to see dreams do not always come true.
And putting this scrambled eggs policy out there, only highlights it,s manufacturer lacks the skill to put real ones together.

Oto, our standard of live is the reason, wages costs are the difference.
Surely no one wants us to be like the USA let illegal migrants in at starvation wages to harvest our food.
No easy answers, we can not put a tax on imports, not isolate our fruit from world market.
Some will say we should , but doing it is against the war we, both sides of politics fight for open free trade, much to our benefit.
Maybe clearly brand it as Australian?
I buy it first every time but many want the cheap prices.
I would like the voices in my party that are not heard to say what they think is the answer not policy's like this window dressing one.

Bazz, you say.....It will not be the governments fault, it is just the way it has always been.

Well, any recession will be hard hitting, esspecially to those brain washed labor supporters who were sucked in by their continued spin, brought about by their stubbiness and denial.

Otokonoko, you would most likely find that that same farmer wears cloths made over seas, and much of his plant and equipment would also be imported.

I remember receiving an invitation to a Katter party meeting and, by attending you received a free T shirt.

I asked if that shirts was Australian made and you guessed it, I never received an answer.

This policy is another political stunt, just like the Greens latest move, whereby they sever the ties but still pledge their support.

It if wasn't such a serious situation it would be laughable, but the reality is that in less than FVE YEARS labor, with the assistance of the greens and those so called independents have all but ruined this once great nation.

Many of us saw this for what it was, unfortunately, just not enough of us.