26 June, 2009

Remember the negative side of globalization

26th June 2009

I read with interest the letter by former Nationals candidate Peter McFarlane regarding the discussion about the negative side of globalization.

Disregarding an apparently slight degree of paranoia that a plague of former One Nation candidates appear to be on the horizon, Mr. McFarlane appears to willfully ignore the points made in the letters written by both Mr. Aldridge and myself.

The issue is not one of building a so called “protectionist wall” around our nation and cutting off any degree of two way trade. The issue is the fact that our nation’s leaders appear content to pursue a mythical level playing field in which we are supposed to compete against other nations’ economies which operate with a vast amount of cheap and often slave labour, yet still maintain a system of tariffs to protect their own economies. Foolishly, the advocates of liberalization think that the rest of the world will come to the party if only Australia continues to lead the way by example.

Mr. McFarlane claims that liberalization has given Australia it’s high standard of living. Perhaps he would care to explain how a person’s standard of living is improved as the factory gates are closed behind him, or the income from his farm is undercut by cheap imports?

If “protectionism through tariffs” is so detrimental to international trade, perhaps Mr.McFarlane would care to explain why Australian lamb exports to the US rose during the years of the Clinton Administration, a government quite content to defend their local producers through a system of sensible tariffs?

Those of us who seek a return through government policy to a system of limited protectionism do so out of concern for the livelihoods of those few local producers who remain. The policies are not dissimilar to those advocated by current and former Nationals MPs, Barnaby Joyce and Bob Katter.

For Australians to practice economic nationalism in the face of the failed and disastrous policy of so called economic rationalism by merely supporting, to the best of their ability, our local producers and industries should not be met with disdain and derision by those who have nothing to lose.

If Mr. McFarlane does not wish to support his fellow Australians, perhaps he is living in the wrong country.

16 June, 2009

Buy Australian to support Australian businesses and workers

16th June 2009

I would like to commend Mr. Aldridge for his comments regarding the threats to Australian businesses and workers.

The on going campaign to liberalise trade and create a borderless world in which the world's population is reduced to nothing more than voracious consumers without any sense of community has been going on for decades, notably since the signing of the Lima Declaration.

Successive governments have endangered Australian jobs, both manufacturing and primary industry, in their reckless pursuit of the mythical level playing field-a situation in which the only beneficiaries are those in a position to exploit cheap labour, move capital around the world or exploit the misfortunes of their neighbour as family farms are driven to the wall.

As a former manufacturing employee, we were assured so long as we "worked smarter", increased workforce flexibility and surrendered conditions, our company would go on to become a world player.

They certainly became a world player-one by one each department was shifted to China, the company grounds became a holding bay for imported goods and the company took no time in removing the Australian flag from their logo.

It may please Mr.Aldridge to know that Australians are waking up to the concerns he has expressed. Now employed in retail, I find many customers seeking out Australian, especially locally, produced goods. They are aware the survival of local businesses and farmers is in their hands.

Governments can help by instituting greater transparency of labelling to inform customers of country of origin and the percentage of foreign ownership.

Customers can also help by supporting independent supermarkets which often promote Australian produce, or by purchasing from the farmgate or at markets, thereby ensuring farmers get a fair price.

02 June, 2009

Labor's Concern For Australian Food & Fibre Producers Goes Bush

2nd June 2009

I condemned the Rudd Labor Government for diverting Australian taxpayer’s funds from Australian needs to use the money to shore up African support in the United Nations for a seat on the organisation’s Security Council.

At a time when many of our primary producers are struggling to stay on their farms when faced by drought and increased imports , not to mention the estimated $60 Billion annual deficit provided by Mr.Swan, it is nothing short of obscene for Mr.Rudd to be playing politics with our taxes.

The role played by our nation’s primary producers in the area of export revenue and the provision of jobs in regional Australia is invaluable. Australian taxation must be used to provide for the critical needs of our country-health, education, pensions for the elderly and infrastructure.

For the Labor government to slash $60 million from the agriculture Budget while boosting foreign aid to 4 African nations to the tune of $464 million is economic lunacy in today’s financial climate. When one considers the timing of this increase when added to our Governor General’s recent 3 week, 10 African nation tour, Australians have every reason to suspect the motives of this government.

It is no secret the government desires a return to a seat on the UN Security Council, but while Rudd plays international politics our nation’s debt continues to climb, our pensioners and farmers continue to struggle and the Murray continues to die.