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Rip Van Winkle economics will embalm shop stewards and Holdens

11 comments

In The Australian Mon 20 Feb 2012:

“Call it Rip Van Winkle economics. Invented by Julia Gillard, it says we should protect struggling firms so that when we wake up from the mining boom, they will still be there. It’s a pity that by then the world will have moved on, ensuring today’s laggards are tomorrow’s relics.”

Written by Henry Ergas

February 20th, 2012 at 6:16 am

Posted in Uncategorized

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11 Responses to 'Rip Van Winkle economics will embalm shop stewards and Holdens'

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  1. I couldn’t give a damn about unemployment in the Illawarra, Geelong, North Adelaide and North Melbourne where these heavy industries are. They always vote ALP and then complain when they get the same results from the ALPs policies. I say let these wasteful industries die. I bet once they are put on no support at least one of them will save itself.

    John Comnenus

    20 Feb 12 at 7:03 am

  2. First class op-ed.

    An education on many levels.

    JamesK

    20 Feb 12 at 8:32 am

  3. I think we should have protected British beef and wool imports. We will wake up from Australian agriculture boom someday – why should we gut the British beef and wool industries?

    .

    20 Feb 12 at 8:34 am

  4. Hey, what about the Tasmanian potato industry, shipping to Sydney that was wrecked by Victorian competition in the 1950s. We had a mechanical digger that rusted outside the implement shed for decades after that.

    Rafe

    20 Feb 12 at 10:33 am

  5. I still believe they should re-introduce price controls on cane sugar to allow the southern beetroot farmers to complete in the refine sugar markets.

    Token

    20 Feb 12 at 10:39 am

  6. BEETROOT! Now you are talking my language!!

    Rafe

    20 Feb 12 at 11:42 am

  7. You can draw parrallels between the car unions and the QANTAS unions. Just tell people they want the product at any price because it is more Australian. Problem is most of us do not want their products unless they are more economical. Then I like the one with the car industry saying they need more money for research. Huh!!! you guys still don’t know how to build a car? Some of it is just the very poor marketing and when Ford decided that some people might want a diesel engine in their Territory sales jumped 50%. Now they just have to work out that some people especially from certain countries want small engines due to taxes and just general costs. Also putting cars in showrooms might help as I have never seen Australian cars in Thailand despite what should be major advantages over the Europeans with no import duties for us.

    kelly liddle

    20 Feb 12 at 11:45 am

  8. I bet once they are put on no support at least one of them will save itself.

    I reckon Ford could sell Falcon Utes worldwide and make a fortune (particularly in the USA).

    They are a unique product and a great car.

    Everything else is irrelevant.

    RodClarke

    20 Feb 12 at 12:57 pm

  9. Something like this would be cool

    http://www.autoweb.com.au/cms/A_53236/newsarticle.html

    This type of vehicle would be a bridge between both small and large commercial vehicles (F250/350). And Sedans and SUVs.

    RodClarke

    20 Feb 12 at 1:05 pm

  10. RodClarke, it needs a decent roo bar, and the two lycra clad tossers removed from the piccie.
    And make it a 5liter turbo diesel.
    Get rid of the water tank – you’ve got a tray, put bottled water on it.
    Otherwise not too bad.

    Winston Smith

    20 Feb 12 at 1:19 pm

  11. Holden did that.

    The Crewman.

    Paul Williams

    20 Feb 12 at 1:30 pm

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