OPEN SKIES - bullshit! Australian Industry protected from cheap imports?

[tail wheel]

I see SPC Ardmona retrenched 150 workers as they can't compete with import products.

Having seen an ultra modern canning facility overseas I wonder if the real reason was no investment in ultra modern, automated canning technology and 140 staff too many?

Common with many developed countries, our politicians of all shades are engrossed in the game of factional politics, rather than the art of national leadership.

Whilst I acknowledge the previous Government exercised excellent fiscal management and should take credit for our strong economy, they too had their share of failures but I don't think it was as many as the lemons the current Government has so far achieved:

The Top 50 Labor Lemons

1.. Carbon Tax – “There will be no carbon tax under the Government I lead.”
2.. NBN – $50 billion but no cost-benefit analysis
3.. Building the Education Revolution – The school halls fiasco
4.. Home Insulation Plan (Pink Batts) – Dumped
5.. Citizens Assembly – Dumped
6.. Cash for Clunkers – Dumped
7.. Hospital Reform – Nothing
8.. Digital set-top boxes – Cheaper at Harvey Norman
9.. Emissions Trading Scheme – Abandoned
10. Mining Tax – Continuing uncertainty for our miners
11. Livestock export ban to Indonesia – Over-reaction
12. Detention Centres – Riots & cost blow-outs
13. East Timor ‘solution’ – Announced before agreed
14. Malaysia ‘solution’ – Only just agreed, now blocked by the High Court?
15. Manus Island ‘solution’ – On the backburner
16. Computers in Schools – $1.4 billion blow out; less than half delivered
17. Cutting Red Tape – 12,835 new regulations, only 58 repealed
18. Asia Pacific Community – Another expensive Rudd frolic. Going nowhere
19. Green Loans Program – Abandoned. Only 3.5% of promised loans delivered
20. Solar Homes & Communities plan – Shut down after $534 million blow out
21. Green Car Innovation Fund – Abandoned
22. Solar Credits Scheme – Scaled back
23. Green Start Program – Scrapped
24. Retooling for Climate Change Program – Abolished
25. Childcare Centres – Abandoned. 260 promised, only 38 delivered
26. Take a “meat axe”’ to the Public Service – 24,000 more public servants
27. Murray Darling Basin Plan – back to the drawing board
28. 2020 Summit – Meaningless talkfest
29. Tax Summit – Deferred and downgraded
30. Population Policy – Sets no targets
31. Fuel Watch – Abandoned
32. Grocery Choice – Abandoned
33. $900 Stimulus cheques – Sent to dead people and overseas residents
34. Foreign Policy – In turmoil with Rudd running riot
35. National Schools Solar Program – Closing two years early
36. Solar Hot Water Rebate – Abandoned
37. Oceanic Viking – Caved in
38. GP Super Clinics – 64 promised, only 11 operational
39. Defence Family Healthcare Clinics – 12 promised, none delivered
40. Trade Training Centres – 2650 promised, 70 operational
41. Bid for UN Security Council seat – An expensive Rudd frolic
42.. MySchool Website – Revamped but problems continue
43. National Curriculum – States in uproar
44. Small Business Superannuation Clearing House – 99% of small businesses reject it
45. Indigenous Housing Program – way behind schedule
46. Rudd Bank – Went nowhere
47. Using cheap Chinese fabrics for Defence uniforms – Ditched
48. Innovation Ambassadors Program – junked
49. Six Submarines – none operational
50. Debt limit to be increased to $250 billion – to pay for all of this and much more

Fifty lemons is a notable achievement?

I could add to that:

• The Qantas Sale Act - what is that?
• The $90 billion Australian Future Fund - quietly spent, now all gone!
• Fair Work Act - a nighmare of industrial regulation for which Australian workers gain no real benefits.