Holdens woes. Can someone explain to me...

[i-need-a-martini]

...why the government can pour millions upon millions into the relatively short life mining industry whos profits line the pockets of a select few yet it won't put money into our car manufacturing industry which supports hundreds of thousands of average workers?

[i-need-a-martini]

Is it simply a union aversion thing?

One thread that seems to link all of the current governments strategy plans seem to relate to perceived union strongholds. Holden and the child care debacle are 2 obvious examples. Abbott government seems to be purposely unwilling to help any industry that is highly unionised

Is this simply their way of trying to push union supported industries out? All of their media rhetoric seems to highlight the unions as the bad guys for both examples.

I suspect that if Holden employees hadn't entered into enterprise agreements, they would have had the full support of this current government. Ditto with child care centres.

[the_hawk*]

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@ashjoma wrote:

The aim is to remove industry, send off shore, impoverish the West, reduce standards of living.

It is a plan.  

Research Agenda 21 and ICLEI

By the Way, reducing our ability to produce motor vehicles for ourselves also will affect out ability to defend ourselves

if required.

All planned

.

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Funny you should say that, many years ago when doing a course on enterprise barganing I questioned the real reason for it and what will happen when we have nothing left to give up to gain a pay rise.

The explanation was a shock, basicly they want all the gains that have been made over the years taken away from workers and the pay rates to come down to that of the third world countries.

I see the removal of industry as a means to do both as people get more desperate for the fewer remaining jobs and will accept any conditions offered

[freddie*rooster]

Abbott wants to dump the holden fleet for BMW bomb proof vehicles haha

[cherples]

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@rabbitearbandicoot wrote:

it's simple really - if  YOU lot  bought Holdens instead of imported cars - Holden would be profitable enough to continue.....

and no-one would lose their job.

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If Holden made nice small cars I might buy from Holden.

[meh_too]

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@i-need-a-martini wrote:

...why the government can pour millions upon millions into the relatively short life mining industry whos profits line the pockets of a select few yet it won't put money into our car manufacturing industry which supports hundreds of thousands of average workers?

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relatively short life?  the Gallilee Basin has a mining life of 30-90 years depending on who you believe. Thats alot of jobs

[carls*world]

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@the_hawk* wrote:

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@rabbitearbandicoot wrote:

it's simple really - if  YOU lot  bought Holdens instead of imported cars - Holden would be profitable enough to continue.....

and no-one would lose their job.

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Thats rubbish, they are moving manufacturing off shore so they can make even more money 

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Exactly, why would you keep making something that costs $20,000 to build, you can sell for $30,000, or get it made somewhere else for $10,000, $3,000 to transport it, and still sell it for $30,000

[nevynreally]

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@i-need-a-martini wrote:

...why the government can pour millions upon millions into the relatively short life mining industry whos profits line the pockets of a select few yet it won't put money into our car manufacturing industry which supports hundreds of thousands of average workers?

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It's simple. Holden's parent company has decided they needed help. The government weighed up wether this would be a good idea long term and decided it wasn't.

Spending tax payer dollars on a company who isn't really committed to the Australian economy is a bad move. Give them money and what happens in a few years time when they say the same again? Plus mines can be up and running again almost instantly, can the car industry do the same? 

I don't like it, but it's the way it is.

[i-need-a-martini]

And do you think global mining companies are committed to the Australian economy?

In fact do you thnk local mining magnates are committed to the australian econmy given that they pay so little tax and their profits go to multinational shareholders and that they place their profits in overseas tax havens?

So if we are willing to prop this industry then why aren't we willing to prop up an iconic Australian brand?

[meh_too]

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@i-need-a-martini wrote:

And do you think global mining companies are committed to the Australian economy?

In fact do you thnk local mining magnates are committed to the australian econmy given that they pay so little tax and their profits go to multinational shareholders and that they place their profits in overseas tax havens?

So if we are willing to prop this industry then why aren't we willing to prop up an iconic Australian brand?

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um, no.............   but who is?  the banks? wesfarmers?  nope not one of them.  Its all about the money, money, money

[i-need-a-martini]

But my point was - why are we prepared to give millions to the mining industry but for soe reason not prepared to give millions to the auto industry? Even more so when the manufacturer in question is an Australian brand?