



No fair go for Australia in 'laissez faire' agenda


Ian Porter

The Abbott government needs to use legislation and policy to tilt the global playing field and support the nation's industrial sector.

Illustration: John Spooner.

Illustration: John Spooner.











It's hardly an agenda to give solace to the nation's workers.





















  • Yes Virginia, there is a Santa`da..huh..No Virginia, until recently there has never been a Wacky Wabbott.

    Yippee Yi Yo
    Date and time
    February 12, 2014, 5:43AM
    • Mr Porter I suggest you read your own Ross Gittins in today's paper. Makes you look kinda, well.....wrong.

      Date and time
      February 12, 2014, 8:56AM
    • @ Geronimo
      I have no idea what you are trying to say.
      @ mh
      How many times does it have to be stated that every modern industrialised nation, again EVERY, has protectionist policies; tariffs and taxes.
      Every free trade agreement we have, again EVERY, as in all, we are losing on because our supposedly free trade partners in every agreement have restrictions on what we can export to their nation.
      It is NOT free trade. Cars can be imported to Australia from Japan and Thailand, for example, but we cannot export cars to Japan and Thailand.
      It is the same story for our agriculture industry. There are restrictions on what we can export to our "free trade" partners but they can dump whatever they like here.
      Aspects of what Mr Porter has written and what Mr Gittins has written are both correct.
      Unfortunately, a large number of people who feel they "have the right answer", are blinded by their ideology or misguided allegiance to a political party. Like our Federal Parliament.
      This nation will continue to go backwards while this situation exists.

      Date and time
      February 12, 2014, 11:06AM
    • Australian local costs are too high to build stuff. Land, food, power, currency-- labour costs are high, but only one part. Land, housing is propped above its true cost by government intervention at state, federal and local level. Middle class welfare pushes up the cost of education, and many other needs. Australian governments at all levels need to reduce intervention into the market in some key areas to reduce these costs and fast. Industry handouts to wealthy multinational Cadbury was a political decision to buy local votes that suited Mr Abetz because he is from Tas. They let Holden go because the workers are mostly Labor voters, but this meant component costs would go up for Toyota causing a ripple effect. The political parties need to work for the good of Australia first, not for themselves. Tell the people what the real inflation rate has been since the middle of Mr Howard's government. That massive increase in cost of living since about 2004, plus a high currency have seen businesses leave Australia. Power costs doubled due to a decision during the Howard Gov to build 'gold plated' power lines. Then the Abbott gov spends $5 billion to build and run secret, remote prison camps for low wage workers who are desperate to come and work here. And they are willing to pay their own way to get here too! Instead of spending defence money on fighter jets and submarines that work they spend the defence budget on an effective political strategy called 'stop the boats'. Should be called 'stop hard working low wage people' who could secure our economic future like they did for the last 100 years.

      Hong Kong
      Date and time
      February 12, 2014, 11:11AM
    • Hey GenX, Gittens is a lefty (and an exceptional economist) and I am agreeing with him so I don't know how you are saying I am just being ideological.

      Date and time
      February 12, 2014, 12:03PM
    • Ahhh...err....ummmm (sounds like Tony Abbott) I mentioned Mr Porter and Mr Gittins, saying they both had good points. You missed the point I guess. I didn't mention any political allegiance for the writers or for me.
      You were having a go at Mr Porter. I was saying why can't we listen to both and why can't our Parliament behave that way.
      I am sorry if that was confusing for you.

      Date and time
      February 12, 2014, 3:21PM
  • About 80% of Australia's employment is in services industries, which seems to be overlooked in this story. As for the car industry, I'm amazed there isn't any calling out of the practice of adding costs to manufacturing year after year and then being outraged that they close down because they are uncompetitive - they don't make enough cars that people actually want to buy! Somehow taxpayers money is supposed to make it all better. Bill Shorten's previous government and the unions that propped it up made the car industry less competitive - adding costs but taking none away. The solution if he were in office now - give the car industry $$$billions if only they'd stay. I mean it's only borrowed or printed money. It's not like any Labor government will need to balance a budget or justify wasting huge sums of money. Is there no uncompetitive industrythat a waste of taxpayers money can't fix?

    Tyrion Targaryen
    fantasy name, real world
    Date and time
    February 12, 2014, 6:06AM
    • 'Bill Shorten's previous government and the unions that propped it up made the car industry less competitive '

      Um, so it became uncompetitive under Shorten? What are you talking about?

      Fantasy name, fantasy world.

      kepler 22b
      Date and time
      February 12, 2014, 7:22AM
    • Another uninformed rant. Please do a bit of research about what the rest of the world does before commenting. Unfortunately Australia is not in some mystery bubble protected from the actions of the rest of the world. Why is it that you believe Australia should be the only country with no industry assistance and tariff protections?

      Date and time
      February 12, 2014, 7:27AM
    • A hell of a lot of Australians were buying Toyota.
      Regarding the service sector, they only exist in order to service something. If there's no industry, what are they servicing? If you're talking about law, advertising, marketing, who are they representing? What are they selling? If you're talking about the local cafe, where is the money for coffee & a sandwich coming from? Other hospitality workers? If you are thinking about tourism, it has been dropping off due to the mining boom pushing our dollar ever higher.
      There's a reason why some Chinese businessmen have been getting richer and richer. They're industrialists. We can't compete with Chinese wages, but we can protect our own markets and standard of living. We're just too ideologically blinded and stupidly convinced of our own superiority. If we keep on this path most Australians will end up poor as dirt.

      Nymeria Forehead Smack
      Date and time
      February 12, 2014, 8:03AM

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