The Aus market has always been far too small to manufacture cars, and the only reason that the car industry originally survived is because there were massive import tariffs imposed on importing cars >50% which had the effect of imposing a tax on car purchases.

Posted by Shadow Minister, Monday, 2 May 2016 8:08:09 AM

I cannot agree with this. The problem is why did Australian companies set out out to compete with the worlds best at producing the same thing as they do?

It can be clearly seen with hindsight that Australia place in the world auto industry should have been in 4MD technology and mining equipment. At the time the Australian car manufacturers were established, Australia was the outback country in the world, for an industrialized nation. There were no sealed roads across the nation and most seald roads went no further than a few hundred miles.

This occurred because the American car manufactures did not give a stuff about Australia's interests, only their own.

The Australian govt was also at fault for not asking the question "where is Australias place in the world auto industry and what can we do differently, better and uniquely?"

Due to these failures, we tax payers have been paying out how many billions? of corporate welfare to American and now Japanese companies for decades.

Instead of crying over spilt milk, why not discuss some possible solutions.
What about government providing interest free start up capital to buy the vehicle manufacturing plants before they are dismantled?
What about interest free loans to plant workers to invest in their place of work?
It's not handout mentality. I could be investment in Australian people and Australian industry.
There must be away instead of giving up.

R & JF,

The Aus car market was always too small. That has always been the opinion of the large brands. It costs a fortune to tool up for a particular make of car, and with the cost of Aus Labor the only way to be competitive is efficiencies of scale.

Aus car manufacturing was always a socialist brain fart that was doomed to fail without trade barriers.

Surely if we designed and made a hot looking quality car or RV it would sell here and overseas.
A 4Wd Ferrari for example.
Or a convertible Australian Mustang type, top quality.
Or should we just turn out the lights

JF Aus,
I don't want to see us lose our car manufacturing and jobs, but I'm not sure we can compete anymore or whether the industry's a liability.
I don't think Australia can fix its problems by 'inside the box' thinking.
We need to be smart and think 'outside the box' and make bold tough big and grand decisions.
But I agree we cant lose the steel industry.
For my National Infrastructure Project and your Aqueduct Project, we'll need plenty of it.
I understand your point about the submarines, the money might be better spent on things we could export, that is if we can even make them at a price that's competitive.
As for the Aqueducts, we could also generate power from the water flow between dams, check this out.

http://www.gizmag.com/portland-lucidpipe-power-system/36130/

There are media 'celebrities', Little Wally (Waleed Aly) and that clown wearing the red nappy to cover his bald pate as examples, who could power their own transport or a light truck with the methane they produce.