Jumbuck,

You are about 40 years too late.

Whitlam started the downsizing of Australian manufacturing with this statement. " Tariffs don't protect jobs, they only protect profits".

Since he cut tariffs and so has every government since, our manufacturing capability has fallen like a rock.

don't worry guys the Greens will ensure manufacturing is supported by wind farms. Most plants will operate abot 2 days a year.

in fact they are both the same with different labels.
Robert LePage,
Oh come on Bob,that's just leftie hype that's trying to water down Labor/socialist failure/incompetence. In order for labor voters to see some sense the Coalition has no option other than occasionally step down to Labor's level & hopefully build up again to a more sensible level. It's no good if you have incompetent Government being voted in by indoctrinated voters when they are in the majority, you have to get the indoctrinated to glance over their right shoulder occasionally.
As long as we have this idiotic notion of democracy we'll never get a chance to educate those who need educating & eventually think. Also, the term education needs to be brought back to its real meaning.

It is simplistic to just blame China and cheap labour for everything. For just look around what is being sold. Mercedes, BMWs,Hyundais, Toyotas, etc, not made in China, but made in first world countries. Miele kitchen appliances, made in Germany. Aircraft, made in USA and EU. Billions of $ worth of prescription drugs, made in the first world. The list goes on. Tariffs would achieve nothing, other than decrease our standard of living.

Banjo>> Whitlam started the downsizing of Australian manufacturing with this statement. " Tariffs don't protect jobs, they only protect profits".
Since he cut tariffs and so has every government since, our manufacturing capability has fallen like a rock.<<

Banjo that statement of itself is correct, but the premise is wrong.

Bloody Globalization and the control of trade had its modern genesis with the Lima Agreement in 1973.

Both sides of parliament went along with the signing away of our right to make our own decisions, our sovereignty.

All governments since have disengaged tariffs when they were directed to by the IMF.

Banjo you can’t blame Whitlam. Have you noted that as manufacturing fled the First World over the past 40 years not one First World government told the IMF to go jump, neither side of the political spectrum….what does that suggest?

Yabby>> The list goes on. Tariffs would achieve nothing, other than decrease our standard of living<<

It is a chicken and egg thing Yabby, our standard of “comfort” may alter marginally, but it would increase our nation’s wealth and with wealth comes comfort.