Angus5
New Member
I think we now see how the Australian made Commodore, was Holden’s reason to be as an auto maker, for what we are left with is a range of anonymous vehicles that are not everybodys cup of tea. The loss of an Aussie made car means a lot more than just having to warm to just another rebadged Opel. Let me explain.
I have read this thread with great interest and it seems we wouldn’t be having some of these discussions if things had turned out a little differently a little while ago. You see Australia lost something a few years ago; something called the car industry.
I have returned to work after being out of the workforce for some years. Talking to my lovely employment agent (landed a job with in days of signing up), I was appalled to hear of the employment situation in Northern Adelaide caused by the shut down of car manufacturing. She was explaining that it wasn’t just the loss of factory jobs and component suppliers nationwide, factor in the transport companies shuttling parts backwards and forwards, The companies supplying the embroidered uniforms, the legion of catering staff needed to keep these workers fed, the number of contractors required to maintain and upgrade the factories. Potentially 100,000’s of jobs, affected, reduced hours, or just plain lost.
I did a year out at Elizabeth many years ago, and I met so many great people who loved their job, who wanted to work and felt secure at Holden’s. I fear for many of them now. How did this loss happen? In my view it was caused by loss of subsidy – but which auto making country does not heavily subsidise? Also the artificially high Australian dollar for far too many years making imports too competitive. Perhaps we should have used this cheap import advantage to reinvest in tooling and equipment to strengthen Australian manufacturing.
The milk I have just stirred into my cup of tea is owned by the Italians. My neighbours pour Japanese owned milk on their froot loops. The biscuit emblazoned with Arnotts, that is now just soggy crumbs sinking in my tea, is really just a product of Campbells Soup.
Just as we have relinquished ultimate control of these aussie made foods to overseas boardrooms, with the gutting of the Holden production line, The boardroom of GM finally has it’s hands firmly around the throat of our beloved Aussie car company and, inconceivably might just throw it overboard.
I suggest we dedicate a day of mourning for what we have lost in this country. To say a final farewell to the boat load of companies that we have seen sail away, far from our shores. Maybe then we might, finally, wake up. Aussie made cars did mean a lot to us all, and for good reason.
I have read this thread with great interest and it seems we wouldn’t be having some of these discussions if things had turned out a little differently a little while ago. You see Australia lost something a few years ago; something called the car industry.
I have returned to work after being out of the workforce for some years. Talking to my lovely employment agent (landed a job with in days of signing up), I was appalled to hear of the employment situation in Northern Adelaide caused by the shut down of car manufacturing. She was explaining that it wasn’t just the loss of factory jobs and component suppliers nationwide, factor in the transport companies shuttling parts backwards and forwards, The companies supplying the embroidered uniforms, the legion of catering staff needed to keep these workers fed, the number of contractors required to maintain and upgrade the factories. Potentially 100,000’s of jobs, affected, reduced hours, or just plain lost.
I did a year out at Elizabeth many years ago, and I met so many great people who loved their job, who wanted to work and felt secure at Holden’s. I fear for many of them now. How did this loss happen? In my view it was caused by loss of subsidy – but which auto making country does not heavily subsidise? Also the artificially high Australian dollar for far too many years making imports too competitive. Perhaps we should have used this cheap import advantage to reinvest in tooling and equipment to strengthen Australian manufacturing.
The milk I have just stirred into my cup of tea is owned by the Italians. My neighbours pour Japanese owned milk on their froot loops. The biscuit emblazoned with Arnotts, that is now just soggy crumbs sinking in my tea, is really just a product of Campbells Soup.
Just as we have relinquished ultimate control of these aussie made foods to overseas boardrooms, with the gutting of the Holden production line, The boardroom of GM finally has it’s hands firmly around the throat of our beloved Aussie car company and, inconceivably might just throw it overboard.
I suggest we dedicate a day of mourning for what we have lost in this country. To say a final farewell to the boat load of companies that we have seen sail away, far from our shores. Maybe then we might, finally, wake up. Aussie made cars did mean a lot to us all, and for good reason.
