It is a poorly thought out strategy, assuming any thought has gone into it at all. After watching Ian Macfarlane on ABC's 7.30, it seems there has been no thought or preparation and the government has no idea of the way forward.... other than straight into a recession.
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The economic rationalists are happy that, in their eyes, we are not propping up an unprofitable industry. But the ramifications of losing these jobs and this industry have far reaching effects. As Phillip Toner from the University of Sydney highlights, losing the car industry means risking our science and technology base. But without a science minister there is no one to cry foul, in the same way that Sharman Stone called her colleagues out for what they are... liars.
Abbott leads us another step closer to being the 'Stupid Country'.
Phillip also notes that while the car industry received $1.1 Billion in support, at the same time the Health Insurance industry (not health care, there is a very clear distinction) received $1.5 Billion, and Miners received $4 Billion from their diesel fuel rebate. The miners are much more profitable than Coca-Cola Amatil who received no co-investment to try and save SPCA and the thousands of jobs and with them, the fabric of the communities in the Goulburn Valley.
Don't try and make sense of Coalition policy... they twist it solely for political purposes, and without any bigger picture plan.
A complete dog's breakfast.
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Abbott is not afraid to spend other people's money, as evidenced by his unsupportable entitlement claims to compete in an Ironman event in Port Macquarie (something he still hasn't explained). He is happy spending public money for political ends, such as the Royal Commission into the Home insulation scheme. And the latest expensive stunt (which we are paying for) is his attempt to score political points by attacking Unions through yet another Royal Commission. A follow up on the Cole Royal Commission (that he called) that did not lead to a single conviction. $100 Million well spent, according to Abbott.
And in the one of the most audacious attempts to spin the Toyota departure as someone else's fault, Joe Hockey has been caught out lying about the role the AMWU played in Toyota's planned closure.
But it doesn't stop there. As a follow on from the attack on Unions, they attack worker's conditions. The motivation? Their ideology tells then that workplace deregulation will boost productivity.
Not according to Bill Harley from the University of Melbourne. Bill makes a great point, in that the real focus should be innovation as deregulation today is largely a broad, meaningless buzz word as workplaces will always be regulated to some extent, as they should be. The Coalition simply use the term as a smokescreen in the main game - driving down worker's conditions to drive up the bosses' profits.
Based on Eric Abetz's recent attempts to scare people about a wages explosion, which was quickly debunked by Economists, it seems that lies are the new 'facts' for the Coalition. Whatever it takes to make them happy at the Institute of Public Affairs.