Free Trade Agreements
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Maggie5
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- #27
I think things started going downhill with the Button Plan.
IMO FT agreements don't do much for the economy or the majority of Australia.
We have lost so many manufacturing industries -whitegoods(NZ still makes them), clothing, footwear, small appliances and of course MV.
Some of you will point out that our wage system is the problem but I would disagree. Last week, Rivers was advertising clothing for children - nothing over $5! Now most companies/stores operate on min of 100% profit.
These garments are made in Sri Lanka or Thailand, import duty is 10%, add freight, plus agent costs, then plus 10% GST, you can imagine the original cost paid by these companies.
Is this the wage conditions you expect. Workers here to be paid?
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- #28
Anyone hear the Radio National interview where the guy said Japan has told their farmers they are going to introduce quotas and subsidies?
edit: found the link: http://www.abc.net.au/radionational...e-agreement-just-how-beneficial-is-it/5374054
edit: found the link: http://www.abc.net.au/radionational...e-agreement-just-how-beneficial-is-it/5374054
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Pretty good performance by the PM. Of course it helps to not have the opposition sneering nicknames like "kevin707".
I was thinking that personally, Abbott is about 100 times more likeable than howard was as a public persona
I was thinking that personally, Abbott is about 100 times more likeable than howard was as a public persona
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- #30
NASA will have a manned trip to Mars before the Beef tariff is halved.....
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- #32
I wouldn't hold my breath. I doubt we will see any perceptible benefits from these agreements within the next 5 years, if ever.
This has been the ongoing story of FTA in Australia. We agree to allowing greater market access to big players and end up getting sweet FA in return, despite all of the talk, promises and distant "commitments".
It also appears Abbott accepted significantly watered down agreements just to get his name in the paper.
Youd have to say he would be absolutely brilliant to wrap up three trade deals with three seperate asian tiger economies to our satisfaction in the same year never mind during the same trip
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- #34
Which is exactly what didn't happen.
Speedy resolution is not preferable. Sometimes no outcome is also the best outcome, if wrapping up the deal means hurting Australian industry.
The response from DFAT has been muted. There are supposed to be some very unhappy chappies, who have spent 5 plus years putting in the ground work for these deals only for Abbott to unilaterally sweep through and deliver concession, after concession, in the hope of gaining some short term political capital.
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- #35
If by some miracle Oakajee goes ahead it does need plenty of foreign investment. It will be great for WA and great for the Mid West if it does happen though.
If we need the Koreans to do it then so be it.
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- #37
I know this if OT, but did you see this:
http://www.watoday.com.au/business/...dburys-6b-oakajee-revival-20140411-36h8u.html
Gina or Clive?
- Banned
- #40
This should be the Australian response to the TPP, sadly most people don't even know or care.
Aus sold off or sold out, without public consultation and with a largely ambivalent or complicit media either not asking questions or voluntarily spruiking changes. I wonder what the response will be to SOPA like legislation, an ISDS panel if the US get their way, or the loss of the PBS?
Aus sold off or sold out, without public consultation and with a largely ambivalent or complicit media either not asking questions or voluntarily spruiking changes. I wonder what the response will be to SOPA like legislation, an ISDS panel if the US get their way, or the loss of the PBS?
- Oct 30, 2010
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because forcing higher prices on consumers is acceptable to keep uncompetitive jobs around?
- Banned
- #42
I've said it before wrt what took place in Taiwan:
What do you think would happen if 100 or so students decided to occupy Parliament House in Melbourne or Canberra?
I contend they would be tased and/or beaten up pretty quickly. And so long as the MSM told people that the protestors were hippy students without a cause, a large proportion of Australians would support those tasings and beatings.
Countries like Taiwan make us look like a bunch of pussies who not only accept but want a police state.
We're a disgrace.
Because many of our industries were s**t, they made crappy products at expensive prices. Our good industries have continued.
So, your argument is we should have 150% tarriffs on clothes so they cost twice as much and we can still make them here?? How is that better for the 99% of Australians that don't work in clothing manufacturing??
That was just an estimate of how much higher t-shirts from Bangladesh would need to be to make us competitive with them.
You're the one arguing for tariffs, so how high should they be?
Maggie5
Moderator
- Moderator
- #46
Don't wear T-Shirts for one thing, especially one that is made in Bangladesh and can cost under 50 cents to make.
I don't know what the tariff should be but I don't believe that FTA help the majority of Australians.
You seem to imply that we cannot make affordable clothing, I don't believe that is the case.
Then why don't we? And why are we afraid of the FTA?
Well they benefit most Australians directly, as we don't have to pay as much for goods. That is the whole point of an FTA, it allows us to specialise in what we're good at and export those goods overseas, while allowing us to import in goods from overseas at prices as low as we can.
The only people tariffs help are those working in protected industries, everyone else is damaged by tariffs due to the lower choice and higher prices that come with protected industries.
I am confused by what you are arguing for here. You don't like the FTA's, however then don't advocate tariffs. You think we can compete in industries such as t-shirt manufacture, however then don't make any argument for why we largely don't compete anymore.
Maggie5
Moderator
- Moderator
- #50
What are we good at?
Manufacturing is dying or in some sectors has already has died. Unemployment is high, especially amongst the young and we may possibly be looking at increasing the pension age to 70. Still not convinced with their regarding this as if people are aging, then so are the younger ones in employment, if they create jobs. Further if the jobs are there then migration can also help.
A large number of food processing companies already under foreign control, wool processing industry dead, clothing dead, footwear dead, car manufacturing dying (dead in 18 months) textile (fibre) dead. Trades seem to be the only ones surviving - send your kids to trade school.
Where are the jobs coming from that we can afford to buy these "cheaper" items?
This is not a LNP thing, both they and Labor are too eager to deal. with countries that will beat us in manufacturing goods because they have lower living standards. Would you work for the rates that people are paid in China, Thailand, India, Bangladesh, Korea, Japan etc?
