The current Holden problem has Tony Abbott stuck in a very bad situation that I doubt he can find a way out of without some heavy damage.

If he sticks to his current line
- Holden will close and with it the long held dream of an "aussie" car.
- the bogans and revheads will be incandescent with rage. Especially when they realise it means the end of icons like Bathurst.
- there will be a steep rise in unemployment payments especially in South Australia.
- he will be vilified as "un-Australian", uncaring and anti-business.

If he submits to Holdens demands and hands over more cash he will be
- seen to be backflipping once again. Never a good look.
- flayed alive by the neocrazies for what they are already calling "socialism".
- Have every other business that is a big employer or important to a particular region, lining up with their blackmail notes in hand. Think bluescope steel, Qantas, the few remaining food manufacturers, hell even Mcdonalds could threaten to walk if they dont get their cut. And Abbott will have to pay up every time.

Cant say I have much sympathy for him. More a case of you get what you deserve. LOL

As for Holden I dont know where I stand.
I dont like subsidies or cars or putting people out of work.
I think the whole Ford/Holden great Aussie car thing was all just a huge con.
I think it is important to keep the skills and tools etc we have built up over many years and not just throw away all that experience and people just because the money is wrong.

What do you all think?

It is a difficult situation no matter who the Prime Minister may be.
The way we are headed tourism, mining and farming are going to be our lot as it appears little can be manufactured in Australia on a competitive basis.
I feel we are headed toward a big shake up as to life style. It is not just the fault of governments, we the people have had our heads in the sand for quite some time.
I think a reality check for us all is not too far in the future.
SD

Dear Mikk,

Holden is an Australian icon. We can't keep losing our
manufacturing industries to overseas interests.
With a loss of manufacturing, unemployment in this country
will increase, and the government will have the responsibility
of supporting the unemployed. So they may as well put that
financial support into supporting the manufacturing industry
and maintaining employment. One way or another it's going
to cost.

Foxy,
Holden is an overseas interest as is Ford and Toyota.
Icons belong in churches and are for those that rely on faith not facts.
Holdens now cost too much to build in Oz, that's a fact and they also need to sell a lot more.
If we all bought Holdens we could save the situation maybe, but that is never going to happen.
SD

Or he could grow some ball and reverse the years of state control that have decimated this countries ability to produce. He could tell the unions to go screw themselves and put the workers back on regular pays, plenty of people looking for full time work! Then he could tell management they'll get no more tax payer money and that they need to compete like everyone else. Then they might actually make cars again that Aussies want to own!

None of this will happen of course, so bye, bye Holden, it was nice knowing you. And I'm a die hard Holden fan!

The fact that all this is happening is a grave concern for all in this current climate. It shows just how far down the shithole Australia is!

There is one very good possibility from this.

We could now close South Australia down. We could stop building lousy ships, [subs] there & inflicting them on our long suffering navy. We could in fact correct the ancient mistake of ever settling in South Oz at all.

All that water they demand for their artificial fresh water sky lake could be returned to the states where the rain fell, & it can be put to a more useful & productive purpose.

Our Commodores & Falcons are some of the best cars built anywhere in the world, sold at prices the Germans would love to be able to match, but when governments, national state & local stopped buying them, & turned to cheaper imports the writing was on the wall.

They are dinosaurs in a world that wants lap dogs, RM Williams boots in a sea of cheap sneakers.

So RIP Holden, you are now part of history, & no longer wanted.

Hell even I, a qualified rev head, wouldn't buy one. As a bloke who drove for the original Holden Dealers Team at Bathurst in 1968, that is saying something.

One has to admit, our welfare & union crippled country can no longer produce a car at a competitive price. Like an old clockwork toy, we are winding down to oblivion. The Oz that was once the best place on earth, is like Holden of the 60s, no more, & will not return. Us oldies should give thanks that we were so lucky to live it, our kids are not going to be.