If he can seize the moment, the passing of Holden can be Joe Hockey's equivalent of Paul Keating's "banana republic" declaration.
Like Keating's famous 1986 warning of Australian's economic decline, it can be a national shock, but also a jolt to national action.
Not to try to perpetuate a World War II-era industrial structure, but to create the enterprise culture of a new century.
The test of an economy is not what it can preserve but what it can create; not how much subsidy it can pay but what profitable investment it can generate.
The car industry has been given $19 billion in handouts and tariff protection over the past decade.
The result of this is not a thriving industry but a sad kind of industrial charity.
The passing of Holden will create a twinge of nostalgia because it is holds a place in Australia's past, but not its future.
Keating followed his warning with a controversial program of economic reform. John Howard and Peter Costello followed through.
It laid the foundation for the sweep of uninterrupted growth that is now approaching a quarter-century, unprecedented in Australia and unique in the developed world.
Keating was asked in 2000 what he would say to blue-collar workers who lost their jobs as a result of his reforms.
His answer: "What do I say: What is your new job like? One of the 2.5 million created since the early 1980s. People have found better jobs. I mean, did we ever hurt anybody liberating them from the car assembly line?"
Since he said that, Australia has created another 2 million jobs. The key lesson? A flexible economy is a good economy. But today's politicians have been carrying on as if the 1980s and 1990s had never happened.
By sheer coincidence, Keating will be in parliament house on Thursday. With any luck, he will remind them.
One of the few things that Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott used to agree on was that, if you wanted a prosperous modern economy, you had to have a car industry.
This was news to Switzerland. And Singapore. And Norway. And Denmark. None of these has any car manufacturing, yet all are among the top 10 richest countries in income per person
Negative gearers lined their pockets with 100B in subsidies in the same time frame. Miners lined their pockets with 50B in fuel subsidies originally intended for farmers in the same time period. This industry was a skills nursery and the flow on effect will far exceed what the Libtards expect.
Pig Iron said yesterday they get $85k. If that's the case, fuck em.
I'm sick of morons getting big bucks.
stinkbug omosessuale Frank Castle is a liar and a criminal. He will often deliberately take people out of context and use straw man arguments. Frank finally and unintentionally gives it up and admits he got where he is, primarily via dumb luck! See here Property will be 50-70% off by 2016.
I don't know — probably a lot — but she isn't sucking on the taxpayer's teat. Apples and oranges.
Maybe not directly. What about all the subsidies to Mortgage Mugs? Government deposit guarentee. e.t.c.And another thing. Free trade idiot Robb signed an agreement with Korea this week so they could import cars here duty free now in exchange Australia might be able to export agriculture produce to Korea in 15 to 18 years time - assuming we still own any of our own farmland by then. Korea makes Holdens for $3000 cheaper - whoopdee F doo.
What about Maintenance? robot designers? Programmers? What about parts suppliers? Machinists?
Maintenance is a small problem, one that is fixed by having contractors do it for a range of factories and companies, I mean, you don't need maintenance teams on hand all hours of the working day.
Robot design isn't exactly an Australian exclusive, said designers could be sourced overseas.
Parts? Hah, GM is onto that one already, most of the parts that go into making a car are outsourced to china or india, much cheaper labour and not as many taxes.
Machinists? What would you need a machinist for in a factory that stamps out cars on an assembly line? For repairs, I can understand, but most repairs these days are a modular throw out and replace concept.
"If man is to survive, he will have learned to take a delight in the essential differences between men and between cultures. He will learn that differences in ideas and attitudes are a delight, part of life's exciting variety, not something to fear." - Gene Roddenberry
"Balloon animals are a great way to teach children that the things they love dearly, may spontaneously explode" -- Lee Camp
Maintenance is a small problem, one that is fixed by having contractors do it for a range of factories and companies, I mean, you don't need maintenance teams on hand all hours of the working day.
Robot design isn't exactly an Australian exclusive, said designers could be sourced overseas.
Parts? Hah, GM is onto that one already, most of the parts that go into making a car are outsourced to china or india, much cheaper labour and not as many taxes.
Machinists? What would you need a machinist for in a factory that stamps out cars on an assembly line? For repairs, I can understand, but most repairs these days are a modular throw out and replace concept.
OK, we shall see. Still think it's a sad day for Australia and further hollowing out of the economy so when mining goes bust we will have zip to fall back on. Just wanted to make a counterpoint because it seems most here begrudge the piddling assistance this industry was recieving while ignoring other industries which recieve much more government assistance.
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