Calls for "Australian Made" Products

Discussion in 'Living Room' started by Pumpkin, 17th Apr, 2020.

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  1. Lizzie

    Lizzie Well-Known Member

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    We could've easily built cars - we could've even been a world leader in building cars - problem was the government was pouring billions into a car industry that produced cars that no-one wanted. They were subsidising a dying dinosaur - and why would that dinosaur change it's ways when it was getting subsidised?

    If some basic forward thinking had taken place, and the local industry started building small hatchbacks - or SUVs - and more recently electric and hybrid - instead of sticking with the dog ugly sedans, when it was obvious that was the way the market was going and no one (not even the government) were buying sedans ... and for those who think all the cop cars had to be Holdens ... they've been Toyotas and Mercedes and Fords for years before Holden died

    I have no sympathy at all for the car manufacturing marketplace - and think they missed the boat on a massive opportunity. I'm also dirty on the government for wasting it's money
     
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  2. willister

    willister Well-Known Member

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    Australia is an (high class/grade) Agricultural country...this is where we make the most money apart from education and real estate. When I studied economics 101 first thing was that the goal of any country was to basically make best/most efficient use of resources, basically play your strengths if you will.

    Australia being a large, low density populated country coupled with a decent climate to grow produce it makes a lot of sense to be in agriculture, I've read somewhere Aust per annum produces food for 75 to 100million people. Education I think we benefit from being a cheaper alternative to the USA, UK, Canada and being much closer to Asia. Real Estate is just an offshot of being a large country with not a hell of a lot of people.

    It's probably not as easy to just say lets bring manufacturing back, especially higher tech stuff. Some PPE and medical equipment, hmm even I'm iffy about that one. We simply do not have the economies of scale and rents, salaries etc are far too high for a business case. If there was no virus, would we even consider to bring some industries back? Also think about the pollution etc.

    Cars - especially modern ones are a very expensive exercise to build and design. I think like anything else like mobile phones, computers etc....you need integrated industries. What makes Japan a world leader is that they don't just have your Toyotas, Mazdas etc. but also your Aisin (gearboxes), Denso (switch motors, car computers) etc that are world class and work closely with the big Japanese brands.

    I honestly don't think car manufacturing apart from a local level would have made much sense. We're simply too small to survive on a global stage. Our best chance would have been to move to say pure EV vehicles but for that I think you'd need to control the battery section first.
     
    Last edited: 23rd Apr, 2020
  3. Ben Chifley

    Ben Chifley Well-Known Member

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    Now that we can't sell visas and that China can't use our iron ore or coal - we're screwed. Any ideas for a plan B? Because nobody else seems to know.
     
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  4. Tony3008

    Tony3008 Well-Known Member

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    The tragedy is that Toyota were building Camry Hybrids (and regular Camrys) here at Altona and were exporting them to the middle east by the tens of thousands as well as supplying the home market. But when the closure decision was made the A$ was at 1.10 and they presumably couldn't compete with Toyota's other plants around the world, and with Ford and Holden closing, they on their own couldn't have sustained a viable component industry. And now I drive a made in Japan hybrid RAV4, which has (or had until a month ago) a six month waiting list.
     
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  5. random

    random Well-Known Member

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    Thing is, they crap on about our economy but it's all just a smoke and mirrors fake. With one of the highest costs of living and house prices in the world , highest taxes , highest costs to run or build or buy or do anything and not being able to build anything here , that is not a healthy economy
     
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  6. Illusivedreams

    Illusivedreams Well-Known Member

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    IS Qantas?

    Its a listed company like Virgin.
    Its not nationalized.

    Government could have nationalized Virgin and made it gov owned.
    Here is Qantas

    share holding by volume top few..

    Which of these are Aussie hahahahahahahahahah

    We dont own anything anymore.


    Name Shares Capital
    HSBC Custody Nominees (Australia] Limited 634,729,336 40.42%
    J P Morgan Nominees Australia Limited 276,556,589 17.61%
    Citicorp Nominees Pty Limited 154,291,218 9.82%
    National Nominees Limited 98,725,453 6.29%
    BNP Paribas Nominees Pty Ltd 35,500,300 2.26%
    Pacific Custodians Pty Limited 26,061,107 1.66%
    HSBC Custody Nominees (Australia] Limited(i) 21,768,412 1.39%
     
  7. Illusivedreams

    Illusivedreams Well-Known Member

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    Labor cost is expensive.
    At the moment my company has to compete with $550 people are getting on welfare.
    $750 getting on Job keeper.

    We re trying to get an entry level warehouse position $950 per week people are laughing at us. im talking 22 year old kids they are telling us directly they will stay on welfare.

    We have no free economy.

    Issues in Aus is cost of Labour.
    Our currency is now healthy.
     
  8. Pumpkin

    Pumpkin Well-Known Member

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    My personal view: all the big infrastructure entities, entities that involve in national security, hospitals - they should remain Government ownd.

    Funny my friends in China are now saying that China is not cheap anymore. Hence they are looking at Africa.

    I beg to differ. AUD$ being a commodity currency is vulnerable. Look what happened in the past few weeks.
     
  9. Scott No Mates

    Scott No Mates Well-Known Member

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    That's simply ****ed:confused:

    Just like the the private hospitals?


    But do you want a paycut to make the country more competitive?
     
  10. Blueskies

    Blueskies Well-Known Member

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    This is just flat out wrong.

    Pete Wargent Daily Blog: Exports surge 29pc in March

    Export earnings soared 29 per cent in original terms following the slump through January and February, to be 16 per cent higher than a year earlier.

    The surged was due to coal, gas, petroleum, and especially a big rip in the value of iron ore exports to China.
     
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  11. random

    random Well-Known Member

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    oh **** yeah labour too , there;s so many things and angles, l don't hire casuals anymore just eats into things too much. My daughter was at a loose end and l said ahh, just come and do a few days a wk with me for now. Until she complained about 18 bucks an hour at 18 , working at the pizza shop pt. l thought bloody hell so then l'd probly have to pay her 20 . Had no idea what 18yr old rates were but l thought that was a lot.
     
  12. random

    random Well-Known Member

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    Yeah that's the tough one because cost of living rent and mortgages is so high people need the wages , bloody place is a damn pyramid scam.
    But they have to cut something and not just one thing it gets ya from every angle plus 10 more in business.
    Couldn't even imagine how an airline could survive here their costs and outlays would be unfathomable.

    l can't stand Trump can't stand us having anything to do with the US actually let alone the brown nosing and down right embarrassing mouthing off Morrison does , all of them do , but l'll say one thing about Trump. He knew what he was talking about banging on about bringing manufacturing back to his country and the importance of it . And look at their stuff now it's everywhere , a healthy country should be able to build stuff and own it's own companies.
     
    Last edited: 24th Apr, 2020
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  13. Scott No Mates

    Scott No Mates Well-Known Member

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    The US has strong domestic demand for cars though much of the manufacturing is based in countries where labour costs are lower. Detroit was a basket case from the GFC but so was much of the US.

    Other than cars, which we no longer build locally, what US imports are you seeing?
     
  14. spludgey

    spludgey Well-Known Member

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    I always try to buy Australian made for anything that needs to be refrigerated or frozen, as imported foods that need refrigeration generally have a significantly higher carbon footprint.
    For anything where the product has a comparable carbon footprint, I think it's getting close to nationalism to only buy Australian. Why? Is an Australian person more worthy of money than a Malaysian, Kenyan or Brazilian?
    Certainly not in my book!

    Given that I'm from a country with a very dark history of nationalism and due to the fact that nationalism and racism are only inches apart, I have no interest in participating in any "Australia First" policy at all.
     
  15. Someguy

    Someguy Well-Known Member

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    On the flip side one our strengths is the cost of labour, the average person gets a decent income and can spend and keep businesses going, buy property or rent. Also it leads to higher quality immigration and our high standards of living.

    I actually do find it odd that someone won’t accept $950 a week to work in a warehouse, assuming it’s Monday to Friday and reasonable hours and working conditions you should have no problem filling the position. While some warehouse staff are working shifts and getting $100k+ there are many that are working for far less than you are offering. Remember not everyone is eligible for jobkeeper and I am sure there are many people still in Sydney that are not eligible for jobkeeper
     
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  16. Joynz

    Joynz Well-Known Member

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    Did you do the interviewing yourself?

    If you post the details here (qualifications needed etc) then I suspect you could get a referral from PC.
     
  17. Illusivedreams

    Illusivedreams Well-Known Member

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    $950 vs
    Government $550 NET :)

    You do the numbers

    We lost 2 Part time staff who were doing 3/4 days and are now on welfare.


    These are entry level jobs.

    Job is currently on Jora most applicants are Irish on English on work visas.

    We now looking at putting Irish chap he is coming in Monday.

    You not believe it but its been hard over the last 3/4 weeks not fun.
     
  18. Scott No Mates

    Scott No Mates Well-Known Member

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    Isn't Jobkeeper for those still employed? Jobseeker is for those unemployed.

    Comparing JK $750/wk with $950/wk, after tax & super pay is only $731.58 (or $785 if super is on top).

    Would you bust a gut (or pay for public transport, fuel etc) for an extra $7/day?
     
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  19. Pumpkin

    Pumpkin Well-Known Member

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    And with the AUD$ falling, being a commodity currency, what else can we do? :(
     
  20. random

    random Well-Known Member

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    Ahh mate , no US expert hated using that example actually and we don't even compare anyway and thk God l say we're tiny.
    UK build great stuff, Europe, even ltaly build incredible stuff even with an rs economy, all much bigger than us too l know and it's not a competition all l'm saying is any country should be able to build stuff if it can't something effd up. Cars for us yeah bit harder l know small market but everyone else sends cars all over the world soooo.
    There is heaps of US stuff out there though not getting into lists point was Trumpet knew how important it is.

    Anyway , heard them saying this morng one thing they're gonna do to kick start things again is get rid of the over load of legislation that also strangles and adds hugely to business and manufacturing in this country.
    Bloody good idea it's about time.