Labour handing the job to another Labour person is a moot point as all politicians help their mates out.

It’s all well and good for us to say build efficient cars or increase exports, now give me $2k a day. However, there would be a royal inquiry if Bracks was to say something as simple as that.

Whoever takes on this job will have to produce a report that soundly identifies the issues and presents reasonable and actionable solutions. Solutions that are acceptable to the general public, the automotive industry, and politicians.

I wouldn’t mind taking up the job as it’s my line of work (not specifically automotive), but, I don’t think the Opposition nor the general public would be too impressed if Labour hired some nobody with no political ties or experience in the automotive industry.

It’s got to come from the top down and it isn’t.

It is really depressing. I now know how Button felt. I suppose that’s why he always looked so tortured.

If you’re not happy with your leaders then vote them out, or even better put yourself forward…It won’t happen.

Study the Japs and Koreans and copy them.Their attitude work ethic at management level down.

Both sides of the house are full of wankers!

Why doesn’t Rudd include it in his 2 day talk fest. Gee won’t that be productive.

We are led by morons that is the problem!

You know the guy with the big dent in his forehead.

What a drube. He always came across as someone fighting his inner demons.

Theres an idea maybe they can get him on the committee?
May as well get in for another chop before it all goes down the chute!

Another report to justify another hand out to the Australian Automotive Industry. The irony is that the Companies involved will continue down the same path regardless.

If this country wasn’t one big mine (thank god & China) we would really be in the shitter. We start from the advantage point of being a first world country and we are slowly but surely loosing this advantage as our politicians and so called Captains of Industry all feed at the same trough.

Bracks and his elk are laughing at all of us as they go through the motions of another tax payer funded junket.
How convenient another half a million or so in his kit after retirement.

And I bet the Korean and Japanese Captains are far more dedicated to their cause and are paid substantially less and are motived by national pride to succeed and hard work.
Unfortunately Australian Management/ Executives do not know what hard work is.

We have adopted the American model where the people running the show have no allegiance to anyone or anything but their own greed.

Japanese and Korean Governments have worked with Industry from day one and the resultant success is one of national pride.

It easy to blame labor costs but is this an issue when Japan has a higher living standard and besides with robotics what they are the Automotive Industry is one of the least labor intensive industries today.

Unfortunately the Captains that we pay millions to via subsidy and the Politicians have let this Industry down over several successive decades. The writing has been on the wall for years and they haven’t had the competence to read it.

Toyota is far and away the most successful local manufacturer as it is run by Japanese Management. Forget the Australian management stooge’s that appear on our press. The real decisions are made by the real Japanese managers and the oz managers are kept on the pay role for local content.

As for the investigation $2000 a day ain’t a lot of money these days for top dogs. Surely the Australian people want to know where all the tax has gone with no results. If they are bright it won’t take them long to suss out that Australia was/is making cars no-one wants in bulk i.e. Commodor, Falcon, Camry, 380; when they should have been making Astra, Focus, Corolla and Lancer.

Of course by appointing Bracks we all know what the outcome of the review will be. Continuing tariff’s which will mean more expensive cars for Australians and bucketloads of taxpayer subsidies for the foreign owned car companies. If these bludgers can’t survive without continuing assistance then they should be told to bugger off. This at a time when we have the Rudd razor gang slashing expenditure for other programmes.

I will repeat what I have said ad nuseam on this site, Australia can not support four manufacturers (now three). Any one who thinks otherwise needs a reality check. We may be able to support two. Which two that is, is of no import to me.

I am aware that I will be attacked by the usual suspects on this site but it will be like water off a duck’s back. It is my money that is being used to subsidise these bludgers.

The way I perceive it, it’s the exact opposite – it’s growing so fast that inflation is out of control, but people keep spending. More new cars in January than ever before, etc, etc.

There are hundreds of countries around the world that would love to be in our position.

Supporting car companies that are unable to sustain themselves is something Australia doesn’t want to afford. Hell, too many bludgers get benefits as it is, we don’t want Companies being Social benefit recipients as well.

In a Capitalist model it’s profit or out of business, as it should be.

Lets hope he comes up with better policy thnn the “Button Plan” that drove Nissan from Australia back then because they weren’t making atleast 20,000 cars per year (when the marker was around 400,000 to 500,000 cars per year.

By those standards and a million car a year market now, Ford would be under pressure to shut up shop given its current output.

Well, those some ought to scan the talent in the Liberal camp – it wouldn’t take long, and there isn’t any to speak of.

I don’t see why an enquiry is needed – Australian manufacturing is always going to be behind the 8 ball, because we enjoy a high standard of living and high wages, but have a tiny consumer base over which to amortise product development costs. We can only ever succeed in niche markets, whether it be shoes, furniture, clothing, or cars.

The Asian manufacturers have much higher volumes per model run, and very low wages costs, while the europeans have vast volume per model run, and higher wages. That’s partly why the Euro vehicles are dearer than the Koreans.

Now, where is my $2,000 a day?