Holden: The car maker's Australian exit is a good thing

[GRUNTMAX]

http://www.theage.com.au/comment/holden-...2zdvv.html

[Aussie Steve]

I dont agree with that....If the workers are on those sorts of money then yes its about time they and the union realised that half a pie is better than none or even quarter of one.

Having said that when they jump ship General Motors should have to pay all the tax payers bail out money back. They should also not be able to build a Chevy badged Commdore and sell it here without a massive import duty being attached...ditto for any other cars they make and try flog here...said duty can be used to retrain the sacked workers.

[Batfink]

Australia signed up the the free trade agreement back in the late 80's early 90's I think.. that means we can't put excessive import duties or country specific taxes on but..........

In todays world of pollution worries and human rights I can't see why we don't have a scale of duties imposed on those manufacturers that have factories in countries that don't give a shit about polluting the planet or those that use sweat shop conditions...

while paying $100K/year to a factory worker is WAY over the top, paying $100/week is way under too

[Belzybob]

Frequently its suggested that wages in Australia are inflated in comparison with Asian countries and that is what makes us uncompetitive. The fact is that the rates are high not just by Asian standards, but also with some of the Western world too. I don't have recent figures, so I won't quote them, but the minimum wage in Australia is significantly higher than both the USA and UK. That's even using an exchange rate of 2$ to the UK pound or around 75c to the US$.

A 17/18 year old owning a very modest car in the UK that he might have paid the equivalent of 3 or 4000 dollars for will pay more than that in pounds to insure it.

The GM story is another unremarkable one of years of short sighted politicians trying to shore up white elephants for political gain.

[aussiemonster]

An opinion piece is not journalism. Why let the facts get in the way of a good story! The line workers don't get paid $80k a year. That is a load of BS. The only point of his article is to get his own name in lights. The news paper equivalent of a shock jock.

[Belzybob]

An opinion piece is not journalism. Why let the facts get in the way of a good story! The line workers don't get paid $80k a year. That is a load of BS. The only point of his article is to get his own name in lights. The news paper equivalent of a shock jock.

If you have the inside info, what are they really paid?

[aussiemonster]

80k is about what Engineers with a few of years experience get paid, the people actually on the line do not get paid anything like that amount.

[ROD]

. They should also not be able to build a Chevy badged Commdore and sell it here without a massive import duty being attached

We Already Have enough Chevy badged Commodores

[Aussie Steve]

Just the badge is made in Yankland isnt it? or is even that small remnant of the once largest car manufacturing country made in China too?? lol!!

[Batfink]

Sshhhhhh.... Badges are made in china

[busarat]

There would be only 3 badges not made in China Mercedes , the spirit of ecastsy Rolls Royce or a winged B Bently

[Batfink]

I doubt any plastic chrome coated badge is made out of china... They have ZERO emission controls and no minimum wage... So they can use the worse toxic shyte that's cheaper than the rest and not care about workers... Any company will take the 30-80% saving even on a $1 part

[Aussie Steve]

I do believe Rolls Royce now belongs to the Tata motor company and thus is probably made in an Indian street stall alongside full leather shoes and underdacks made from cat skins.

Ze Germans probably force the Poles to make their badges for being a bunch of spoil sports during the war!

[GRUNTMAX]

I do believe Rolls Royce now belongs to the Tata motor company and thus is probably made in an Indian street stall alongside full leather shoes and underdacks made from cat skins.

Ze Germans probably force the Poles to make their badges for being a bunch of spoil sports during the war!

Underdaks made from Catskins
Crudd also gave Toyota a Government hand out to develop Hybrid Technology Cars. They're really popular in Japan know & Toyota,s making a killing. Was in one for a long burn in Fukuoka the other day.
Good to wind you up. This'll really cheer you up.
Absolutely nothing political of course.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Kttm4oXEnQ

....& facebook is a CIA Spying Machine

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_iyEVq4uH5c

[Aussie Steve]

Well, like I said anything made here under whatever rules should be credited to Au...no yanky commonwhores unless they have a large tarrif attached and all bail out monies re-inbursed...I know I am in cloud cuckoo land but this crap happens way too often and then the instigators...Yanks in this instance, expect to import the very thing formally made here back in....level playing field my arse!!!