Read what is what here in relation to GDP James: Sectors as a percentage of 2012 GDP
Australia (unfortunately) no longer relies upon ag apart from domestic consumption, and even at 2.4% of GDP it isn't a big contributor in the scheme of things. From those figures and the number of job loss figures bandied about recently we are about to lose anywhere from seven to around ten percent of our manufacturing workforce. I'm tipping welfare is going to become significantly more difficult to access which some might argue is a good thing, but the strain on the public purse will be much greater in the short term compared to the previous on-going cost of keeping those people employed, if only for a few years.
Taking a long term view, I'll take 1/5 choice to see a stronger, more capable country. You yourself even admit you don't buy Australian... If the government wants out of manufacturing then that's fine. But they don't seem to have a Plan B. They've tossed out a major part of an entire industry (which is much more than just manufacturing by itself - R+D, standards, testing etc etc) but have nothing to replace it with. Apparently we're the food bowl of Asia but they're happy to let food producers, canneries and export industry fold. What's that being replaced with...? Mining? For how long do you think that will last? What careers and futures can we offer our well schooled kids with no specialist R+D or engineering work for them to do? I know, lets get a machine and dig up the countryside till there is no mineral wealth left and plant millions of square miles of country that wont sustain it? Our best arable land is of course under housing or cities.
I completely agree with the principle that companies should be able to fund themselves, but at the same time they need an environment that is sustainable and competitive on a global scale. We don't currently have that, nor will that be easy to achieve against other economies that continue to subsidise their own producers/manufacturers. To keep some perspective, the AU $2 billion the Australian government supported the industry in the preceding decade is around $6 billion less than what they spent on the ABC during the same timeframe. That's value - not! In my opinion manufacturing is more important to Australia than the sodding media...
This is going to sound feral, but I strongly believe we employ far too many people behind desks in this country with nothing better to do all day than to think up new crap to make life harder for the rest of us. If half of them were sacked the ones left might actually have to work a little harder (the cynic in me suggests introduce a system of performance reviews based upon outcomes) and things would work a little more in our favour and actually get done. We once had systems like that in years gone by which instilled a work ethic in the population, unfortunately they are not popular with many.
You seem to take great pleasure in calling the expression I used rubbish (using other words) but then you go and confirm every single point I (and others) raised! I understand your point of view (and share your affinity with the land) but there is agreat deal more to what we stand to lose as a country. This post isn't a shot at you as a person, not at all. Quite happy to discuss face to face over a brew or three...
On a side note: That collective hex that many Australian Holden owners must have sent to GM must have worked: Sink hole opens up under the National Corvette Museum
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Originally Posted by HK1837
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