CLANCY OVERELL | Editor | CONTACT
The Albanese Government is proposing a return to the era of Australian-made manufacturing that officially ended in 2017, when car-manufacturing subsidies for Ford, Toyota and General Motors were killed off because Malcolm Turnbull thought every Australian was going to be a billionaire App owner by now.
Beginning last week, the current PM has begun to roll out the early details of plan to scale up incentives for clean energy and advanced manufacturing, which appears to be one of his leading pitches to Australian voters as they weigh up whether he deserves a second term.
This announcement has outraged the Federal Opposition and their donors, who would prefer to keep Australia’s factories in South-East Asia – rather than have to deal with all the drama that comes with a growing blue collar workforce of Australians, who sometimes have a habit of forming a community, which in turn often leads to the unfortunate phenomena of community organising.
Addressing the media in Queensland on Thursday, Albanese announced the creation of the Future Made in Australia Act to co-ordinate a package of new and existing initiatives that aim to start making things in our country, as opposed to relying on indentured foreign labour that cuts costs for billionaires.
The PM has pointed to similar schemes in the US, EU, Japan and South Korea that involve direct government investments, tax breaks or other incentives – which has slowly seen factories opening back up in Detroit and other manufacturing hubs.
“All these countries are investing in their industrial base, their manufacturing capability and their economic sovereignty,” he said.
“This is not old-fashioned protectionism or isolationism – it is the new competition.”
However, the Australian public remains skeptical of this plan, having heard countless leaders make the pitch to bring back Australian manufacturing before.
Speaking to the Betoota Advocate, semi-retired local man Gee Long (66) has never found stable work like his 30 years in the Betoota Grove Holden factory.
“I believe it when I see it” says Gee Long.
“Until I see that poison Ivy Maloo rolling off the plant with jet black tires stock rims. I do not believe a word”
