metoo, interesting article, bias, but interesting.

How do you propose the lowering of business costs will save manufacturing when we pay $20 per hour yet compete with $2 per hour?

As for the NBN, what's wrong with this who want x-fast BB paying for it, because unless the average punter wants to play faster games, or download porno's faster, what's it's real use?

Negative Gearing, if we remove the tax incentive for investors to invest, do you think they will keep investing. Because this means they will have to first earn their income and pay tax. They then need to pay interest, rates and charges etc with after tax dollars.

Now what do you think will happen to affordable housing once the investors leave the market? Where do you think the renters will go then?

One reason house prices increase is because investors sell houses. One reason they do this is to take a profit which they then reinvest, often in to two properties, both heavily geared. The end result is more rentals in the market. Removing NG places this at risk.

Think very carefully before removing NG because you may not like the end result.

As for saving manufacturing, all I can say to anyone is dream on!

Just a thought – why don’t we tell GM and Ford to just leave the plant and remove themselves back to the good old USA; after all we, the taxpayers, have paid for the plant over the years under all stripes of government; we take those plants in Vic & SA and create a new company to design and produce cars for Australia and export.
After the enterprise is up and running we float it on the ASX. This would not fit well with the current mob, but one can dream of better things

Because this means they will have to first earn their income and pay tax.
rehctub,
Yes it doesn't sound good if you put it that way. If you were to say that EVERYBODY earns their income first & then pay tax then we'd all be in the same game on a very level playing field. I can't wait for a flat tax system where everyone pays the same rate & if some get rich that means that they are smart operators and/or they provide what other people want. There's no more moral & fair system and, more importantly leaves no room for bleating discrimination. It would also curb a lot of polluting frivolous industries & value for money would become a reality. It's a win/win system. Imagine the improved mentality of a whole Nation.

Bazz,

I've driven a number of electric cars including a pre WW I Detroit and which is still going strong.
It's a stately carriage and very quiet and although I appreciate all the finer points of electric cars they have the great drawback that one can't carry spare fuel, so in much of Australia they would be a liability and one would need to carry a portable generator and sufficient petrol/diesel to run it.

Australia has lost almost all the white goods industry, almost all the rolling stock manufacturing industry and is about to lose the automotive industry.

People do not realise that these industries form the base load of the flat products part of the steel industry. If Bluescope at Port Kembla and Westernport close there is no way back. BHP Billiton did Australian shareholders no great favour when they floated off the steel industry, particularly with Billiton not obtaining control of its sources of raw materials.

The Chifley Government after WW2 realised that manufacturing was the key to keeping our balance of trade (Current Account) bearable.
Unless we have a policy for sustainable manufacture the Australian workforce will become the white coolies of Asia.

The current crop of politicians , particularly those in the federal ministry, are clueless when it comes to an Industry Policy.

The USA has started to realise that they need to bring manufacturing back to their homeland.

.....The USA has started to realise that they need to bring manufacturing back to their homeland.

So how do we achieve that Foyle?