SA Footy

At the moment it seems that their are only two options being offered in the media:
1. The industry pulls out of Oz.
2. The governments pay them to stay and keep the skills and jobs here.

My concern is that when control of the industry is entirely overseas the inevitable long term outcome is that the manufacturing process will move inevitably, in time, to the cheapest place to do it. In the meantime the overseas companies can suck concessions out of the workforce and money out of our governments until they are all set up and ready to move, and then announce the decision.

Is their a third way??

Since the plant and equipment in OZ is going to become redundant and unsaleable once the foreign car companies move out, could the federal government pick it up cheaply and make it available free, initially, to a new Australian company formed by the workers, their union, and the parts makers and suppliers. with a long term view to them purchasing the plant and equipment from the government once they are profitable (if ever).

Of course success would be dependent on building a vehicle people want to buy, and doing so competitively with Hyundai for example.

What do you think?

They don't wanna give money to Holden's. Why don't the government make tax cuts on Aussie built cars. And give people a years rego.

Option 3 won't work, needs lots of capital, retooling and R&D costs are massive.

Sort of funny how we all need cars but hardly anyone makes money making them.

If Australian people bought Australian cars it would help out the Australia economy and we would not be in this situation, same goes for everything else we buy.

Unfortunately people don't think about our economy when making their purchases.

Then we'd better do a time warp to 20 years ago when tariffs were sky high then.

Unfortunately, You can't expect people to spend large sums of money on things they don't want, the Australian manufacturers really needed to meet the market.

Petrol guzzling V8s and V6s went out of vogue long ago, plus consumers now have a vast choice of vehicles to choose from.

Look at the latest Mazda 6 for example. Big enough for a family but runs off the sniff of an oily rag. Mazda 3's sell like hotcakes.

What does Holden manufacture locally that can compete?

Will be very sad to lose them (I actually worked for them once when I was at Uni), but that's the cost of engaging in the global economy.

This might sound a bit harsh and nothing to do with the state of affairs out North.
I've known people working out there for years and always bragging how good a coin they are on and do f??k all work.
Times that by 20 years service.
Then all of a sudden things don't turn out like they'd like them too.
Surprise.
Also a well known fact that staff have their sleeping attire in their lockers at the Pt Pirie smelter for when they decide they need a kip.
Yep happens every day.
Don't whinge when that's next to go.

dedja wrote:Then we'd better do a time warp to 20 years ago when tariffs were sky high then.

Unfortunately, You can't expect people to spend large sums of money on things they don't want, the Australian manufacturers really needed to meet the market.

Petrol guzzling V8s and V6s went out of vogue long ago, plus consumers now have a vast choice of vehicles to choose from.

Look at the latest Mazda 6 for example. Big enough for a family but runs off the sniff of an oily rag. Mazda 3's sell like hotcakes.

What does Holden manufacture locally that can compete?

Will be very sad to lose them (I actually worked for them once when I was at Uni), but that's the cost of engaging in the global economy.

is the cruze not made here?

Instead of government giving money to Holdens why dont they give it to all the components manufacturer's. This will reduce Holdens costs whilst also giving a leg up to local australian owned small business.

Got Commodore in 2010 dual fuel very happy with it. cheap to run on gas

Bought the Mrs a SRiV Cruze last year 1.4 turbo. It was her choice from any car on the market and she absolutely loves it.

I choose to support the local economy, if you don't that's your choice but don't complain that most of your taxes will be going to pay for people on the dole.

and yes I do shop at Foodland for the same reason, more local product

beeroclock wrote:This might sound a bit harsh and nothing to do with the state of affairs out North.
I've known people working out there for years and always bragging how good a coin they are on and do f??k all work.
Times that by 20 years service.
Then all of a sudden things don't turn out like they'd like them too.
Surprise.
Also a well known fact that staff have their sleeping attire in their lockers at the Pt Pirie smelter for when they decide they need a kip.
Yep happens every day.
Don't whinge when that's next to go.

That would explain why the old man never sleeps at night.

Squids wrote:

beeroclock wrote:This might sound a bit harsh and nothing to do with the state of affairs out North.
I've known people working out there for years and always bragging how good a coin they are on and do f??k all work.
Times that by 20 years service.
Then all of a sudden things don't turn out like they'd like them too.
Surprise.
Also a well known fact that staff have their sleeping attire in their lockers at the Pt Pirie smelter for when they decide they need a kip.
Yep happens every day.
Don't whinge when that's next to go.

That would explain why the old man never sleeps at night.

Perhaps.

grant j wrote:If Australian people bought Australian cars it would help out the Australia economy and we would not be in this situation, same goes for everything else we buy.

Unfortunately people don't think about our economy when making their purchases.

I was once a loyal Holden man, and my first three cars were holdens, but eventually I wanted something with a bit more style and less of those nagging little problems like boot lights that didn't switch of and drained the battery.

I had to resort to shutting my wife in the boot (briefly) from time to time to check on the damn thing.

Psyber wrote:

grant j wrote:If Australian people bought Australian cars it would help out the Australia economy and we would not be in this situation, same goes for everything else we buy.

Unfortunately people don't think about our economy when making their purchases.

I was once a loyal Holden man, and my first three cars were holdens, but eventually I wanted something with a bit more style and less of those nagging little problems like boot lights that didn't switch of and drained the battery.

I had to resort to shutting my wife in the boot (briefly) from time to time to check on the damn thing.

"No, no. Stay in there. I got a feeling they might come back on again in a couple of hours..."

dedja wrote:Then we'd better do a time warp to 20 years ago when tariffs were sky high then.

Unfortunately, You can't expect people to spend large sums of money on things they don't want, the Australian manufacturers really needed to meet the market.

Petrol guzzling V8s and V6s went out of vogue long ago, plus consumers now have a vast choice of vehicles to choose from.

Look at the latest Mazda 6 for example. Big enough for a family but runs off the sniff of an oily rag. Mazda 3's sell like hotcakes.

What does Holden manufacture locally that can compete?

Will be very sad to lose them (I actually worked for them once when I was at Uni), but that's the cost of engaging in the global economy.

Summed up right there. Any future bailout should be conditional as to what products they produce. A bailout I believe must come as it is an investment in jobs. No bailout, thousands of jobs will go and maybe Toyota will be next. Unconditional bailouts solve nothing and don't really solve anything.

regards,

REB

given Holdens are now leaving the car industry looks rooted

It's not the product that is the problem. For as long as the sun comes up people will buy 6 cylinder family cars from Ford and Holden. Look at how many new Commodores are already on the road.

What the problem for the manufacturer is, is the product they make is not as profitable to make in Australia as it is elsewhere. Make the Commodore in Malaysia and people here will buy it. GM make more profit, they keep making it.

I wont even go into my thoughts on the Union(s).

I guess the Federal Libs will be happy now since they did absolutely nothing to help

I don't know this, but have heard this and would like some clarification.
Are workers at Holdens above and beyond what Award Rates are??

tigerhutch wrote:I guess the Federal Libs will be happy now since they did absolutely nothing to help

No other manufacturing sector has the financial support afforded to the automotive industry. It aint a political points scoring game, this one.

mighty_tiger_79 wrote:I don't know this, but have heard this and would like some clarification.
Are workers at Holdens above and beyond what Award Rates are??