You know the irony of all this is that we, the consumer, have the power to save almost anything we choose, BY SIMPLY BUYING OUR LOCALLY MANUFACTURED PRODUCTS.

It's our choice and to simply sit back and blame the government for the inherited mess left by labor is typical of you one eyed die hard labor supporters who continue to offer your unconditional support.

Remember this, in 2007 we had ZERO DEBT AND $20 billion IN THE BANK!

That's FOUR HUNDRED AND TWENTY BILLION REASONS FOR THE REST OF US TO BE TOTALLY PISSED OFF!

Any you want them back!

Belly,
No doubt we do have problems in Oz when it comes to manufacturing, and in many other areas for that matter, but at a time when we need the best people in the top jobs in Government we have the worst.
They appear to be totally bereft of any vision and forward thinking. Real backward looking thinkers.
As for Auntie. She can be a pain in the back side, boring, lecturing, but is our Australian Auntie, reliable and in the main not prone to telling untruths and exaggeration, entertaining even at times. Every family should have one.
More reliable I feel than he who changed his citizenship for that of another land and then lectures us on how we should go about things in our country.
I agree Belly, the Oz I know was the land of the 'fair go'. Those in power and of influence appear determined to change this for reasons best known to themselves. Money I guess. In my opinion there should be more to it than that.
Take it easy.
SD

Manufacturing is not struggling because the federal government is not giving enough, the simple reason is that the cost of making goods here is more than they can be sold for.

A hand out here and there is not going to change anything, but stave off the inevitable.

The only long term solution is to reduce the costs. In SPC's case as with the car manufacturers, the costs of manufacturing have spiraled up and the cost of imports has fallen.

Costs that can be reduced are:
*Ridiculous restrictive labor agreements can be normalised,
*The carbon tax that is pushing up all energy costs can be scrapped,
*The >20000 new pieces of red/green tape that costs time and money to comply with can be scrapped.

The only possible solution is to remove the cheap labour content in the
things that we buy. Contained within the labour costs are other costs
to do with workplace conditions such as unreasonable holiday rules
and other time consuming practises.

We can do that and also remove the cheap labour of overseas workers by
basically sawing off the rest of the world before it goes away all by
itself. Globalisation is finishing anyway so if we get in early and
disconnect from the cheap labour market we may just have enough time
to rebuild the important industries before the real crash occurs.
Also we will be able to control the rate of change.
It will meant disconnecting from the World Trade Organisation and a
number of other organisations, but that will happen anyway.

Bazz you fell hook line and sinker for our temporary Prime Ministers rant yesterday.
It would better serve if you made every move to hear or read the local LIBERAL members firm rebuttal of her leaders words she HIGHLIGHTED he was wrong to blame wages or unions.
Recent cuts of both workers and buying of fruit highlights a willingness to change.
This whole thing is about the need for change and upgrading the plant.
I weary at use of Aussie workers to blame any thing on, the do you understand are just like the bloke next door, not fitted with horns and tail.
I urge folk to look for the basic truths in issues not follow the increasingly strident Abbott-Murdock government line, it is flawed.
As every day passes we get nearer the one that see the Liberal party remove this strange bow legged and bent mind man.

Belly,
With all your talk of Abbott this and Abbott that, I distinctly recall Whitlam saying, as he drasticly reduced tariffs, "Tariffs don't protect jobs, they only protect profits".

How many businesses have closed and how many thousands of jobs lost since then. It is now too late to save manufacturing here.

Look forward to the ABC and SBS getting a thorough going over. The bias and the anti Aus rhetoric is now too much to take. Sure the Murdock press is now favouring the LNP, but who can blame them after the incompedent labor and it is his company so he has a right to favour one or the other. The Fairfax press is biased Labor anyway.