There is no question that Australia has a premium product thanks in no small way to the regulations of Government and/or Industry & our Employees have one of the safest working environment thanks again in no small way to regulations of Government and/or Industry.
The question I raise is how do we preserve these under free trade?
Under free trade our businesses must compete with importers who produce under varying regulations and compliance and we have seen the short comings of this eg live exports and poorer quality steel
I have always believed that Tariffs are a way of protecting our lifestyle imposing additional costs on importers who do not meet the same stringent conditions as Australian producers.
In a competitive free trade market with no Tariffs should:
1. Government and Industry promote the advantages of local made products including the regulations in place to ensure product safety and working conditions, or
2. we the consumer become more aware of the differences and support the additional responsibility taken on board by local suppliers by supporting them in purchasing, or
3 ask the government and industry to review the regulations in place and make them more in line with world standards to remain competitive. I I would not like to see this as I like the commitment of ensuring our workers all get to go home.
If we do not come to grips with this; other Industries, like our Primary Producers, may have to shut down or move overseas to get a competitive production cost as we have seen with motor vehicle production or the Big Australian BHP with their overseas operations
What are your thoughts?
Are Tariffs FINISHED
Tariffs have been explained as a way of supporting Australian businesses competing in a global market and as such drawn plenty of comments about justification of individual business with motor vehicle production the prime example.
Was it support for the motor vehicle trade or support for our affluent way of life that adds higher cost to the production of goods – particularly those with high labour costs?
Overview
If tariffs protect our way of life why, if Australia is such an affluent country, does it have some of the lowest tariffs in the world.
The Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) is reducing the Tariffs our exports face to TPP countries.
On balance do we win or do we loose?
