Easier Said than Done

Discussion in 'Living Room' started by MTR, 21st Jan, 2016.

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  1. MTR

    MTR Well-Known Member

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    This is about buying Australian products, love to, but its hard when you can buyer cheaper products from overseas.

    After watching this program tonight on ABC I am going to make an effort to support Australia. I am guilty of buying cheap tomatoes from Italy etc etc., wont do it again.

    More than ever we need to support Australia as times are going to get tougher.... what do you think???

    All Italian tinned tomatoes found to be dumped in Australia
     
  2. datto

    datto Well-Known Member

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    Yep no Iti tomatatoes for me. Same goes for Lebanese Cucumbers. Only home grown from now on.
     
  3. D.T.

    D.T. Specialist Property Manager Business Member

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    A lot easier said than done.

    Unfortunately consumers will always choose the best value option (note that I didn't say price, because quality can be a factor too).

    With unions and labor laws oppressing Australian businesses, it's difficult for them to compete on value.
     
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  4. Johnny Cashflow

    Johnny Cashflow Well-Known Member

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    It's hard to support Australian when a product is a lot cheaper and similar if not same quality.

    Alot of company's use imported parts/products and then sell it as Australian made, and then tell the consumer to support Australian made products, go figure...
     
  5. datto

    datto Well-Known Member

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    Australia needs unions to support the worker's need for higher wages. We are not a cheap country to live in.

    We cannot become like the USA where wages are low and there is the working poor. They seem to be brainwashed into believing all that patriotic stuff and flying their flag from their house. And yet most are struggling to get by,
     
  6. Xenia

    Xenia Well-Known Member

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    You're Italian MTR - make your own preserved tomatoes.
    No solicitors and legislation around your food that way and it's healthier too.

    On a more serious note I do agree it is easy to just buy imported options, price is one reason but if I buy Greek cheese, olives or produce I don't want it made in Australia - I want it made overseas where they know how to make it.
    (On the occasions where I do buy those things - we usually make them at home)
     
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  7. vtt

    vtt Well-Known Member

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    I often agree with your views @D.T but saying that unions and labour laws are oppressing Australian business is just too much. Why do you think we are "the lucky country"? It is at least in part because we enjoy a good standard of living with decent wages. The unions fought to get Australians a decent wage (go and refer to the Harvester case) and the generations after that are now enjoying the benefits of that decision and many others.

    I am not a unionist at all, I haven't been a member of a union for at least 20 years but they have a very important role to play in ensuring workers are paid fairly for work done. Governments have set laws to prevent us turning into a country like the US where there is immense downward pressure on labour costs, ultimately it is the every day worker that suffers.

    Therein ends my rant :)
     
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  8. Ed Barton

    Ed Barton Well-Known Member

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    I try to buy Australian made, but if I was diligent about it I'd spend half a day doing a simple grocery shop.
     
  9. Lizzie

    Lizzie Well-Known Member

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    I've become more picky about my shopping in recent years ... I'll still buy the cheap tin of canned tomatoes, but happy to pay a few cents more for the Australian ones over the Italian ... Australian Olive Oil ... no imported fruit or vege or deli products ... it's all very clearly stated on the signs or packaging so doesn't really take any extra time to shop.

    I'll happily pay the extra 99c to buy Farmers Own milk over homebrand, knowing that the farmers then get an okay return rather than being screwed over ... Bega cheese over homebrand for the same reason ... and so on and so forth.

    Doesn't mean I'm buying "Australian" companies over overseas ... that's nearly impossible nowadays ... but rather the products themselves

    The cost isn't really that much more - my milk bill might be $3 more a week (I spent more than that on chocolate) - surely, those of us who can afford to be discussing property investment on a forum like this can afford to pay a few extra dollars in your weekly grocery bill to support Australian.
     
    Last edited: 22nd Jan, 2016
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  10. THX

    THX Well-Known Member

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    It was the unions that slowly strangled the life out of all manufacturing in this country. Unions had a role during the industrial revolution, but today they are nothing but corrupt criminal gangs working to enrich themselves.
     
    Last edited: 22nd Jan, 2016
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  11. Mombius Hibachi

    Mombius Hibachi Well-Known Member

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    Hey deets, did you hear that? That was the sound of my eyes rolling so hard that my retinas detached.
     
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  12. Biz

    Biz Well-Known Member

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    I agree with you @D.T. . A lot of you guys have clearly not dealt with you unions as employers so can't expect you to understand. In short the unions are germs. People complain endlessly about the cost of living, the cost of housing etc. You can blame a large part of that on unions. By trying to make everyone equal they have created a society where everything is now uncompetitive on a global scale. You can pick up a shovel and go earn $1500 a week clear as labourer thanks to unions. You guys don't see anything wrong with that?
     
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  13. Bayview

    Bayview Well-Known Member

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    The easiest way to alleviate any guilt about buying online cheaper from O/S - don't shop the product.

    Just decide what you want, go to your local guy and pay the money.

    Works for me.

    It's harder with food, I admit.

    We do buy locally sold fruit and veg; but not from the "chain" stores - the local greengrocer who is always more expensive; but mostly these items are from the Dandenong market (hopefully locally grown; but who would really know?) first; and from the greengrocer for tops.

    (We have been doing it super tough financially, so forgive me for the less than 100% effort on this).

    Anyone who is swimming in money and doesn't buy local; shame on you.
     
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  14. 2FAST4U

    2FAST4U Well-Known Member

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    Union membership has been on a long, steady, decline. Industrial disputes are also at record lows.

    As for manufacturing if we use the car industry as an example, wages only make up a fraction of a cars cost. It’s economy of scale, high electricity, OHS and red tape costs and all the other costs associated with running the factories these days that killed it along with falling sales, and a high Aussie dollar due to the mining.

    I used to work at a meat factory and the story was exactly the same. The costs were not eaten up by wages (I was on a casual rate of $20.50 an hour along with everybody else and I was also a union member), but by utilities, rates, repairs, and supplier demand. The machine I worked on was imported from the USA and cost $500,000. It could barely last a couple of months without breaking down because it was old. Every time it broke down they’d need to get parts for it and call in a maintenance man who charged hundreds of dollars as an hourly rate, let alone if he got called in at 4am to fix it. That was just one machine and the factory was full of them. We all used to joke that the boss should have just hired a maintenance man full-time because they were always in every week.
     
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  15. 2FAST4U

    2FAST4U Well-Known Member

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    Definitely!
    When it comes to food and household products I always buy Australian and support local producers.

    I'm not swimming in money so I've never bought a brand new car in my life. As a result I've never bought an Australian car, but both my cars that I drive are Australian made- I have a Falcon and Commodore.

    I use 2nd hand furniture for couches, dining tables, and chairs. I usually buy new beds and mattresses though and make sure they’re made locally. I remember there is one big store that makes itself out to be an Italian/luxury store. I think it’s called Natuzzi or something like that. Anyway I went in there to look around. They charge premium prices, but when I asked where all their couches were from they said everything in the store was imported from China. Nice money for the middleman!

    Australia still make white-goods so I purchase Australian made fridges, dryers, and washing machines. They last a long time so I’m happy chipping in a bit more since I’m getting quality items.
    Australia doesn’t produce that much anymore so when it comes to items, such as electrical products I’m not concerned where it’s made, although I do tend to favour Japanese made- or Japanese owned at least.
     
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  16. Scott No Mates

    Scott No Mates Well-Known Member

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    Here's one to brighten your day @Biz @D.T.

    Bayswater

    A 4 day week! Wot? Every week?

    $60/month mobile phone allowance?

    Not using the corporate email???

    & only $180,000 per annum PLUS over time.

    Where do these guys get off? They're no longer stoking a coal fire, lugging barrows etc it's all automated.

    The sooner wages are reduced, property prices will drop to US levels (& so will our borrowing capacity).
     
  17. wogitalia

    wogitalia Well-Known Member

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    I'll generally avoid Australian Made on major purchases because it tends to be of lower quality and a higher price, Qantas and Holden are both perfect examples. When it comes to food and the like I will buy the best value every time, I don't think I've ever looked at a label to see where something came from and I doubt I ever will because it's just not something that matters to me at all.

    As for unions, they used to have a purpose but they've run their course and have evolved into a gluttonous mess of corruption and inefficiency that genuinely does hold back innovation and progress in the country. They're no longer about workers being protected, it's all about getting as much money into the leaders pockets.
     
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  18. Jkat

    Jkat Well-Known Member

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    I try and buy Australian produce where I can. It doesn't always seem possible but I find it helps that I try and avoid going to Woolies/Coles and go to the local markets instead. Same with meat and fish. I go to the fishmarkets and have a butcher who can tell me where the meat is sourced and about the quality of the product as well.

    What I struggle with is brands like Coles/Woolies pushing out smaller companies and competition with their 'home brand' products and I will often go out of my way to buy the brand name product. There has been a lot of media recently about how Coles/Woolies treat their suppliers (they act like bullies) and the suppliers get pushed out of the industry or are barley making margins on their products to compete - thus making it harder to provide quality, Australian products.
     
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  19. Scott No Mates

    Scott No Mates Well-Known Member

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    It doesn't matter one iota @Jkat - the no names brands are from the same multinational suppliers as the first retail brands only with lower specs. The majors just screw them even more. Point of reference most recently is Campbells Foods (owner of Arnotts Biscuits). They withdrew much of their product range from Woolies after Wollies wouldn't accept a price rise - most others would have buckled.
     
  20. Bayview

    Bayview Well-Known Member

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    Hell; I'd walk to work for $180k.

    I'd walk to work for $80k these days.

    And they'll be on the 6.00pm news crying in their beards when they get made redundant at some point..

    Can one of you guys drive down there and issue everyone with tissues, please?

    I'd do it myself, except I'm stuck at work 5 days a week earning $55k.:rolleyes:o_O
     
    Last edited: 22nd Jan, 2016
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