With innovation being Mr Toorbul's latest buzz word, shouldn't he be looking at the restricting IR laws that see our potential innovators being expected to i9novate with one hand tied behind their backs.

Firstly, to innovate, one would expect many employment houses to 'up skill', however, in order to up skill they have the replace other workers which is unlawful.

While I have often mentioned how ridiculous this situation is, the fact remains the laws are there and potential innovators will not invest if they fear being sued for unfair dismissal.

Of cause once this hurdle if overcome (don't hold your breath) we then have the issue of wage and associated running costs because as it stands you cant continue to pay our people $300 per day while OS operations pay $5 per day, sometimes for superior workmanship.

if we don't treat the underlying issues that have caused our anti competitiveness, Innovation will remain a buzz word

Why should upskilling involve replacing workers rather than training them? The latter would add more value to our economy; the former would probably result in a skilled worker shortage.

"Of cause once this hurdle if overcome (don't hold your breath) we then have the issue of wage and associated running costs because as it stands you cant continue to pay our people $300 per day while OS operations pay $5 per day, sometimes for superior workmanship."
The whole point of innovation is that our workers can continue to do things worth over $300 per day. We should not try to compete for the jobs worth $5 per day.

Our anticompetitiveness is largely a myth. Over the last few years we have had a competitiveness problem due to an overvalued dollar, but more recently the dollar's fallen to a level where that's no longer a problem.

The trouble here is the word innovation, in today’s lingo it has about 40 different scenario’s.

....Our anticompetitiveness is largely a myth. Over the last few years we have had a competitiveness problem due to an overvalued dollar, but more recently the dollar's fallen to a level where that's no longer a problem.

Dream on Aidan.

About the only innovation we could hope for is to design something, then have it manufactured OS, which by the way is what many do now.

Even our design work is in the firing line with the NBN making outsourcing that much easier as for the cost of one executive here, its been suggested you can hire an entire team to work 24/7 in the likes of Singapore.

As I say, dream on.

Meanwhile, our leaders will remain focused on the outcome (innovation) and no doubt ignore what it will take to get there, skills, costs etc.

We have an almighty governmental deficit problem. To resolve it we could:

* increase taxes... but the electorate doesn't want to hear that and just got rid of a PM/Treasurer who proposed it. And the current leadership doesn't want to do anything to spook the herd.

* decrease spending but...see above.
* increase our productivity. But the usual suspects will just shout "workchoices" and...spooked herd.

So, the political solution is to shout "innovation". We'll innovate, that'll make us more competitive, that'll generate more income for the nation, that'll mean more taxes raised, that'll solve the insoluble deficit problem. Presto, problem solved. Now can we can get back to talking about the really important issues like the world being a little bit warming in 100 years time (/sarc off).

The best part for the political class is that all this will take time but also buy time. A worsening deficit in 2016 - not a problem..we're innovating. Projected deficits to 2030 - we're innovating. AAA rating under threat - hey we're innovating.

Innovation will allow the problem to be kicked down the road while they claim they are addressing it.

And best of all, because it buys time, all those currently squibbing the problem will be long into tax-payer funded retirement long before it becomes clear that the only thing we innovated was a way to avoid the problem.

We had a PM that took money away from innovators the CSIRO so their only option was to sell it elsewhere to survive. When someone innovates we do not do anything with it, just allow it to be manufactured over-seas.
Australia needs an innovation centre, with science and manufacturing combined.
All of AU’s defense equipment should be made here, it’s all to easy to get it from elsewhere. We were lucky to get the Jeeps made here, even though we have the necessary equipment. When Vietnam was on there was a bomb case in every corner of the place in the same facilities.

rehctub, you seem to think fabrication is synonymous with manufacturing. But in reality fabrication is a low value part of the manufacturing process. If we can design something (ta high value part of the process) here, then have it fabricated OS, why shouldn't we?

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mhaze, we do not have a governmental deficit problem at all. Running a deficit is normal at this stage of the economic cycle, and any attempt to rush to surplus will fail.

The government no longer borrows in any currency other than the one it prints, so bondholders can be 100% sure they will get their money back.

people seem to forget that one of the first splashes of tax payer money for Mr Rudd was to fly 1000 of the 'brightest' to have a talkfest about Australias future. Well they certainly achieved a lot. I knew one of these people personally and can guarantee they were far from bright. We are back to spin over substance which is why the national broadcasters luv it. Anyone wanting to save a little money could get rid of the abc and the country would be a billion dollars better off and suffer no intellectual deficit. I suspect 'innovation' will also mean more money for the CSIRO to push their gw lies.

Butch, back on your old hobby horse I see, claiming people are earning $300 day, as if that is the norm, then trying to link "innovation" to workers pay and conditions. There is nothing new in your line, its the same load of cobblers that the money people have been pushing since the Aussie worker first threw away his begging bowl and stood up for himself and fought for fair wages and conditions. Naturally, you do not intend for that $5 day rate of pay to apply to yourself, being a top notch innovator as you are.

Please explain how Australia has managed to become a leading world economy, and maintain that position, a very rich nation in fact, given all the bludging and ripping off you attribute to its hard working people over the past 200 odd years.

Paul, you are living in the past, as the boom day, the ones that helped achieve our high rating are gone.

Paul, $300 per day is not far off the mark, especially in areas where innovation is being sought. Lets face it, we are not expecting the likes of barmaids or checkout chicks to become our innovators now are we. No, we are turning to science, high tech manufacturing and the likes, so I seriously doubt many scientists would work for less than $300 per day. As a highly skilled butcher I certainly wouldn't, and I don't have the degree that the likes of these folk do. So that part of your argument has been put to bed.

My main concern for innovation paul is the way in which workplace laws are structured.

As it stands, an employer can not sack one person, in favour of another simply because they lack a new set of skills that will be required to innovate. That is the largest hurdle innovators will face, and unless the government addresses this crucial point, potential innovators will not risk their investments.

This has long been an unfair imbalance in the current laws, because as it stands, an employer can not replace an employee with a higher skilled worker, yet an employee is free to move on at will. That is simply unfair, because if a position requires certain skills, and you don't have those skills, then what gives you the right to hold on to the new job, when one, your position has become redundant, and two, there is a suitably skilled person ready to fill that position.

Continued

Aidan, Training is a workers responsibility, not an employers responsibility. The problem with training, especially retraining, is that trainees want to be trained, but expect to be paid the high wage for the privilege. That's why we have tech colleges and Universities. Rather than sit at home after their 38hr week, people could be attending training houses in an effort to broaden their skill sets , which by the way is what I did when I was an apprentice. I worked my 60 hours per week, then attended night school, which paid off in the long run.

People no longer respect that fact that you get nothing for nothing.

Innovation just another buzz word? Never! Everybody knows that it means 'proactive cultural paradigm'.

The government is flogging the "Services Industries" as THE growth
method for the economy. This from the mouth of Paul Fletcher MHR who
is a minister Infrastructure would you believe !
When pointed out that we have an energy problem looming his reply was
that service industries do not need energy to operate !

He just did not understand that nothing happens without the expenditure
of energy. I could not get through to him, he just did not want to know.
With such a belief the government is heading for the disaster that
Joe Hockey warned was ahead of us, without any preparation at all.

The big worry is that all politicians, of all countries, are spouting
the same lines of growth growth growth despite the warnings they are being given.

GM genetic modified foods concerns in my experience is a beat up media story.

I remember a science story presented before 1999 on television about how science advancement is experimenting with gene splicing. An animated image of a number of linked circles were seen being cut with animated scissors demonstrating a theory of GM manipulation. Soon after media news were reporting GM foods being planted. Soon after many GM food concerns are reported in the media.

In 1999, A Radio National Life Matters guest speaker expressed, “genetically modified foods technology methods are no different than two thousand years ago. Rubbing two flowers together has not been changed”. The guest speaker was exposing media lies in order to gain continued “we won't mess you around because listeners know too much” confidence in radio listeners.

I have not seen any more science programs on gene splicing.

The science of genetics when considering human genes are two metres long. Genes rolled up into a cell. So many human gene two metre long strands that when strands placed end to end, will reach from earth to the sun 600 times.

So many behind closed doors: companies not paying the correct amount of tax; company CEO executives walking away with millions of dollars bonuses; can't do anything family violence; mental illness; increased ice drug usage; no one goes to jail: political; financial advisers and union scandals.

Concerns about livestock eating GM foods having humans eating live stock foods; food packaging labelled GM produced or not, journalist seen walking through supermarkets are catching listeners attention hoax media stories.

Apple and other famous brand name companies not paying taxes are hoax media stories. Capitalism and global market media stories leading to global economy crashes excuses have been around since 1720 South Sea bubble.
Rolled over propaganda works if people don't realise they're being feed rolled over propaganda stories.

GM foods and human genetics are capitalist system supporting science advancement propaganda. Media stories distract individual thoughts away from self-concerns; when capitalism periodically turns bad, populations can't think (feel) to blame faked capitalism as a primary cause.

What are the barriers? I have purchased products form China via Ebey. Other than currency charges, no barriers are mentioned. I tend to argue few barriers exist. Barriers are no more than one more myth that's stated to have happened behind closed doors. Can't be proved true, must be excepted as true having come from the media.

I tend to think "Innovation" statement was timed to HSC end of examinations. Encouraging school students towards innovative careers.

Suggested changing bankruptcy laws will lead low interest rate creditors rejecting loans out of fears of not being able to foreclose on insolvent borrowers. US bankruptcy laws examples are heard by myself are about passenger carrying airline companies. I suspect courtroom proceedings have to pass judges to whether bankruptcies are halted.

2015 examination HSC results are in. A big question that challenges HSC graduates is, “what next”?

Supposedly New Horizons space probe passing Pluto in July of this year has television documentaries showing pictures of Pluto.
SBS1 television had two programs on Monday December 14, 7.30 to 9.30 PM. The first one hour prime time television program on formulating ideas about how planets came to be around the Sun. The second hour was about media's history on science fiction, how science fiction influences people. I tend to believe the first program theories could be considered as science fiction. SBS program had ideas heard that millions of years ago, a giant ice planet spun off into space, never to return, is the reason for why Jupiter and Satin are in the orbits they are today.
Add SBS2 television recent Star Trek week and newly released Star Wars movie.

I speculate that many HSC graduates are being influenced by media presented science to pursue astronomy as university study. Whether assumptions of coincidence or a conspiracy. I could assume many more students will study astronomy, wanting to work for NASA or similar.

I think astronomy to be a bit of a confidence trick. I would expect employment in science of astronomy would be limited. Most graduates in the field of astronomy, learnt knowledge would be limiting to many other alternative professional careers. Astronomy graduates having failed to find a career in astronomy, alternative employers may believe graduates in astronomy are little more experienced in desired future tasks than a HSC graduate student and may consider potential employees to have been unwise to have chosen astronomy at all as a university study. Starting employment work three four years after HSC examinations ended ages, allows potential employers as starting work in a new unknown task to be too old.

This reminds me of John Lennon Working Class Hero words, “when they have tortured and scared you for twenty odd years... then they expect you to pick a career... when you can't really function, you're so full of fear”.

One accusation I accuse education curriculum subjects of doing are that learning materials have little to do with adult employment unskilled work and most academic careers.
Young children's earliest enthusiastic pictured learning subjects may have been dinosaurs, solar system planets and space travel. Children may have purchased fantasy inspiring toys. Television programs most entertaining stories are of adventures is space.

HSC graduates following childhood and teenager's emotional dreams to become employed in fantasy overly prescribe world wide university courses low demand employment opportunities, seems one more natural selection ruling class controlled media and prescribed curriculum education department redirection trick.

Exampling: watching SBS television 2014 PBS Newshour educational stories, an over supply of US College teachers and professors have employment opportunities in US colleges, limited to part time (no tenure) teaching work, earning incomes reduced to barely getting by. Many teachers forced to find alternative careers.
An increased wide variety of university and college learning courses, taking up student demands for learning courses, tactically allowing ruling classes to reduce young adults heterosexually partnering off, getting married, couples starting families first child births, reducing family reproductive children numbers, slowing population growth. Allowing room for immigration population growth from countries with high population growths.

Television programs exampling “The Good Wife” allows the legal profession (exampling women) to seem fulfilling.
As far back as the early 1970s, a male university student was informing me, that, at first, before attending university, a career in law seemed a good idea. So many students taking up law had his last years of studying, ideas of working for GIO insurance company, processing insurance claims were one of few employment opportunities available.

Cartoon Dilbert as an engineer analogy suggests working in cubicles, performing corporate culture tasks, formulating ridiculous meetings to fill in time.
An easy working career, working in air-conditioned high rise glamorously looking office buildings with rewarding wage incomes maybe worth several years of college and or university studying, to lose several years of basic minimum wage income, paying tuition frees. Incentive benefits in avoiding working in uncontrolled extreme seasonal weather conditions for forty plus years to retirement.

Capitalism's marketing products few people want to buy: printing industry; Internet advertising; seasonally changing women's clothing fashions; women modelling clothes; organising, printing, distributing letterbox drop flyers; importing exporting transporting foods and consumer products.

For what people earn to what consumers pay for after: saving money in superannuation accounts; pay taxes; going to work travel expenses; eating food; rent or loan payments basics. Is it all real capitalist consumer society or an invented money credits subsidised fantasy (limited communist) low birth rate society?

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High scoring HSC graduates may have had teacher parents to aid understanding and to best score high results in examinations.
From preschool, children that have teachers as parents may have influenced decisions on placing children in A grade classes rather than B, C, D grades, grading selectors believing that children having teachers as parents will succeed in A grade classroom tasks. Teachers teaching A grade students are believing students don't need increased tasks studying as students are A grade capable students, having students instructed by learned parents, lowering mental stress repressed memory learning on A grade students.

School students using parents' educational degree studying guidance. HSC graduates that have had an easier, less mentally stressful run through primary and high school education may have had an unfair advantage over lower scoring HSC students. Is mentally stressful repressed learning education the best natural selection method to find best performing students for professional careers?