Protect local producers to ensure a decent national standard of living

20th January 2010

I listened with interest as our PM urged Australians to work “harder and smarter” to ensure our standard of living.

As a former manufacturing worker, I recall hearing the same exhortations from our previous Labor leaders-Hawke and Keating. The catchword back then under a new style of government was “corporatization” and while our leaders were being wined and dined by the high flyers in business, those of us in what was left of our nation’s manufacturing sector did indeed work harder and smarter.

Reforms to the workplace led to us accepting changes in conditions ensuring “flexibility” and rewarded for our efforts with payrises between 1.25 and 3%. The changes, we were assured, would ensure job stability and the ability to compete on the world stage.

Regardless of our efforts, department after department were packed up and sent off to China.;

Perhaps if Australians wish to ensure their standard of living, we could begin by electing governments interested in protecting Australian industry and primary producers. Protecting Australian jobs is defending our standard of living.