http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBmLnbNRWzc&feature=c4-overview&list=UUhRy6Sd9cRxWVegnonb0OMw “Save Holdens” Community group HOLDENS – No Support without shares for Australia. The only options are not “running after Holdens with a cheque book” or “doing nothing”. It is not Nationalisation of the Motor Vehicle Industry versus scorched earth swept clean factory floor when Holdens take their bat and ball and go home. It is not Compulsory Purchase under Constitutional “just terms” or no assistance whatsoever? The boundaries of the “square” inside which governments have to be working contains other options. Australia is a mixed economy. Governments are, for instance, involved with the provision funding and management of education, health, sports, the arts, opera and ballet and have just substantially funded the new Adelaide Oval which is situated on public land. In a mixed economy the government can choose to assist industries. It some cases it may be its duty. These are quite proper political decisions accountable at elections. Australian Government has no “car manufacturing plan”. No plan for its support, viability or longevity. It has relied on the industry to plan for itself. Industry’s current plan asserts the need for financial support. Every other country, Asian, Chinese and European, currently supports its home car industry. Germany by four times as much as Holdens are asking for. Mitsubishi have gone, Ford is leaving, Toyota are working on reductions and Holdens have said they will close here and manufacture elsewhere. Their primary duty is to Detroit GMH – USA and that is how they have been running their Australian sub-branch. Does this mean that there is no future for car production in Australia? If that is so, then no more support. Stop it now. Or. Can there be an Australian car manufacturing industry in ten years time. What would it have be like? It must be market targeted, cost effective, quality built, well designed, innovative, and competitive, Australian controlled and majority owned. It must be able to compete internationally and develop its own intellectual property without being part of a global conglomerate. Only then can Australian technical and design and manufacturing ingenuity take its place with BMW and Volvo. So how do we move from now to then? If Holdens really are moving out they might well be pleased with a proper exit strategy over 5 to ten years that will see financial support from government used to set up an Australian Public Company to purchase into a controlling share of an Australian Holdens that will leave them with a long term viable share in an industry that will not have to seek unknown and uncertain annual subsidies. If government does nothing the inevitable will happen and both lib/lab are currently just preparing their “don’t blame us strategy” But please. No more financial support or subsidies without shares. WREATH LAYING
CEREMONY AT FEDERAL MEMBER NICK CHAMPION’S OFFICE 12 NOON ON WEDNESDAY 13TH NOVEMBER 2013 RIP HOLDENS AUSTRALIA It is hard to believe that the Federal Government has given up on retaining an industrial motor vehicle manufacturing capacity for Australia. It seems accepted that once Holden’s goes Ford will speed up its departure dates and Toyota will not be long behind as without Holden and Ford there is no critical mass for components suppliers to make assembly here viable for Toyota alone. As our State Labour Government whimpers impotently in the background the Federal Liberal Government is preparing its defence - The economic and productivity commissions report should be titled – “We haven’t got the guts to make a political decision so we are going to claim it’s an economic one.” In the Australian mixed economy, of State and Private enterprise, government intrudes into our lives and economy in virtually every aspect and at every level. Of Course the maintenance by government of a viable car manufacturing industry is a political one. And so it should be seen. To conjure up a financial report that pretends otherwise is to take us for fools. The value of government subsidies, support and intrusion into education, health, sporting industry and the arts are all examples of the political idea that the direct user of any particular service is not the only one to benefit. The multi-millions of dollars and thousands of jobs that are known to be flowing from and around the car manufacturing industry are not the only benefits that benefit us all. In the high wage environment that is Europe, some countries subsidise their motor vehicle manufacturers by four times as much as is proposed by Holdens. Holdens should not get money for jam. Let’s give them an exit strategy. Our Government must first make the decision that it wants a car manufacturing industry. Tell us if it doesn’t and not hide a political decision behind a contrived report. Our Government must then decide what the industry must look like to survive. Only then can it set about making it so. That is where their report should be focused. A wreath, in memory of the Australian Car Industry will be laid at Federal Member Nick Champions Munno Para office at the twelfth hour - 12.00 noon 13th November 2013. Viva le Separation of Powers, but keep your eyes on what they do. You might consider volunteering as a scrutineer at your local election booth in the March State election. You will be there when polls close to keep an eye on what is going on. To ensure that, amongst other things, no votes get “lost”. I did it one year and naively did not consider this could occur either by accident or design. I was warned by a very old campaigner that these things can happen, “Trust me it can happen” I was told. How do you lose 1370 votes? How do they get misplaced? It is almost inconceivable that they were not accidently on purpose made absent without leave. I, for one, cannot imagine how in the ordinary course of the most bumbling set of volunteers and amateurs that they would not just have been put somewhere to one side where they could be eventually found by your average bumbling alzheimered scrutineer. So I say to all and sundry, volunteer with your local candidates to be a scrutineer. If accepted you will be told what to do. The major parties will probably have sufficient but all of the minor candidates are entitled to have a scrutineer at each booth. Help keep our election sound. John Bolton. THIS IS WHAT I BLOGGED JUST AFTER THE VOTES WERE DEEMED LOST THE FRESH ELECTION. This inevitable fresh in WA is going to be great. The Liberal and Labour Party will actually have to campaign, and tell us about who their Senate candidates are. They will not be able to rely totally on the party hack donkey vote that depends on voter weariness of a 70 plus choice to get an above the line tick for the party stable. In a stand alone Senate election more people might really make choices. I wonder who knew who the actual people were that they were voting for in either of the major parties. Can anyone name their recently elected 3 or 4 lib/lab Senators? The WA Senate alone election is going to be a fresh lesson to the major parties, that they should begin to take Senate campaigns more seriously. |
jOHNWBOLTONWriter and Commentator. Archives
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