Shttp://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/cabinet-rejects-spc-ardmonas-bid-for-25-million-assistance-20140130-31p4e.html

So the government is not prepared to chip in 25 million to save SPC. Well personally I would be more than happy to chip My $2 to save it going under. A few numbers should be enough to convince anyone that the cost of letting it go under is far greater. We have some 1200 people employed in the factory and some 1500 farmers who grow the fruit. Let us be conservative and assume that 2000 people end up on the dole for at least 1 year, that works out to about 460X25.5X2000 or 23.46 million. It is basically going to cost the government the same regardless of what they do but the local economy is set lose some 100 million in lost wages. It looks to me the government has totally lost the plot on this one and probally the next election as well.

warmair, the only way governments should bail out businesses is if they are one, going to be profitable, and two, the government (we the tax payer) takes a stake in the business.

However, like any struggling Aussie business, the best way to save them is for US, THE CONSUMER to support them by buying their products.

Rechtub it is harder for a blind man to thread a needle than get us to buy Australian.
I actually do always.
Dick Smith is anti union yet he is a truly great man.
He gives his profits to charity.
I pay over the odds but stock my larder as if I am still living in flood prone ares.
BUT lets not ignore SPC is not about the workers it is about a whole community and its farmers.
Abbott is playing Russian Roulette.
If it gos he will be seen as a wastrel on baby bonus and the killer of a community that has never voted for other than his coalition.

Worked there myself in the seventies with the maintenance crew. There is plenty at stake, wasn't the money for modernisation. Surely that makes sense. But then, nothing has made sense for several months now.

Belly,
The Goaf's & subsequent ALP Governments are who have run Australia down to level it is at now. Abbott can & will be judged in a couple of years. Meanwhile stop excusing the most incompetent outfits this country has seen.
Tell your union mates to stop demanding unrealistic pay rates for the middle & upper public servant class who are ruining Australia whilst neglecting the basic wage earners.

Let's face it, we are never going to be able to compete on the "world" market (really the cheap labour 3rd world countries) until the array of so called "free trade agreements" is consigned to the rubbish bin where they belong.
How can you possibly have a "level playing field" when the labour force in these competing countries is paid the usual "handful of rice a day"?
The ONLY thing that will save our manufacturing sector is to bring in tariffs and that also goes for our fruit and vegetable industries as well.