For me, it would depend why the businesses in question had become unprofitable
What I would like to see is reimposition of import duties
I'd like the governments (State and Federal) to quit pandering to overseas interests and invest in Australian start-ups, instead of making it prohibitively expensive for Aussies to get manufacturing up and running. White goods for example. We used to be served pretty well by Aussie white-goods manufacturers and their products were generally good value for money. There are houses all over this country which still have the old Simpson, Malleys, Whirlpoo etc. fridges and stove-tops, ovens and so on. Yes, their styles and colours may look a bit old fashioned but they're still running well. Compare those to the junk imported now. $17,000 and up for a half decent oven. The rest -- all imported by that big US company and bearing well-known Aussie brand-names -- cost the same as they always did but they are junk, mass-produced in SE asian factories and prone to any number of problems including exploding glass doors, simple stop wont work or fire risks. Aussie servicemen shake their heads as they look at the junk and listen to the payee's woes. Then it's off to the shop to buy another - pay for the old one to be pulled out and the new bit of junk installed
What sort of wall-ovens to politicians' wives use, I wonder. Are they putting up with the same carp as the rest of us or do we pay for them to have something half decent, imported from northern europe and with a price of twice a pensioner's annual income ?
Why was it allowed to happen? Simpson closed down in Oz. People lost their job. And US companies reap obscene profits by having junk mass-produced in Asia where they also enjoy lower taxes, lower wages, big financial incentives. And does that big US corporation pay taxes in Australia? Doubt it. None of it should ever have happened. Why is Australia so keen to sign on to endless trade-agreements when we have bugger all to trade apart from rapidly eroding in value dirt out of the ground or livestock which are tortured before they're granted the mercy of death
But our politicians are beholden to overseas interests. And they drag the rest of us along. We used to have the highest quality of life in the world and supplied not only ourselves but overseas as well with fresh produce, etc.
Do I think taxpayers should subsidise big Japanese manufacturers whilst leaving fifth generation Aussie farmers in the cold, forced to plough good fruit trees into the earth because our politicians and their trade-agreements have committed us to buying low quality fruit extracts etc. from other countries
Nope
