Thread: The Whyalla steel works must be saved, at any cost

Originally Posted by frantic

So to get back on topic, instead of 7000 jobs nationwide and 3000 of those in Whyalla,a town of 22,000. Paying over $10-30,000 plus in tax each and earning income being spent in the local economy . You would rather they each get paid by your taxes $15,000 plus in welfare and make half the town unemployed?
That's about $60 million LOST in income tax and north of $50 million paid in welfare in one town , a $110million loss to the govt PER YEAR. Nationally that figure for one steel is above $250million a year loss to us the taxpayer!
But you still insist a local content rule would be stupid?
P.s those are income tax figures alone , now if you throw in the loss of taxes from the GST alone on their products there's well over another $500million income lost to us. Then when they start to make a profit, further taxes.

and over 10 years, how much will it take to prop up the business?

Originally Posted by Ean Austral

We live in a country that wants free health /medical is an example, it costs a fortune for the system we have but when the question of having to pay for the service, even $5 , you would have thought world was going to end, but the majority of people complaining the loudest , are the same people who put the most strain on that system and contribute the least.


Look at the debarcle of the HECS system, several billion of tax $$ and rising , that will never be seen again because nothing has to be paid until you earn $50k a year, there are people who will spend their life at uni and never cost them a cent. When its suggested that it be lowered to $30k its howled down as a money grab.


We have a population of what 23 million and we are not getting enough tax from that population to fund the life style we want , but when its suggested that people will have to pay more it gets that much bad media attention the government backs down, and we end up further in debt. As a country we are living beyond our means but no one wants to admit that there is a problem.


Just my point of view of course.


Cheers Ean

Ean,the HEC's debt is the size it is because people do pointless degree's that cost the same amount as worthwhile ones.The people who do worthwhile degree's get jobs and earn money,the others get low income jobs or the dole. Pat

Originally Posted by PAT303

Ean,the HEC's debt is the size it is because people do pointless degree's that cost the same amount as worthwhile ones.The people who do worthwhile degree's get jobs and earn money,the others get low income jobs or the dole. Pat

but all those low paying jobs require that silly piece of paper.

Originally Posted by PAT303

Ean,the HEC's debt is the size it is because people do pointless degree's that cost the same amount as worthwhile ones.The people who do worthwhile degree's get jobs and earn money,the others get low income jobs or the dole. Pat

Gday Pat 303,


Is that an acceptable excuse ?


Just maybe that if people had to pay back the money regardless of what their income is it may stop that from happening. Just possibly people may question whether or not they need to do a pointless degree when they know they have to put their hand in their pocket straight away.


My wife and me put our eldest daughter thru her nursing degree and 3 years of her living at home and she was told in no uncertain terms that the bank of mum and dad wasn't endless , to her credit she gradated and has pursued it further which is pleasing.


Cheers Ean

Originally Posted by PAT303

Ean,the HEC's debt is the size it is because people do pointless degree's that cost the same amount as worthwhile ones.The people who do worthwhile degree's get jobs and earn money,the others get low income jobs or the dole. Pat

This isn't helped by the fact that unis hey paid per student so they encourage people to start a degree to get more money. Entry isn't regulated like it used to be so they can have as many students as they have seats, more if you include by correspondence. It used to be regulated so that for jobs with few positions available the required HSC score was really high to limit attendees, while the opposite was true for degrees with plenty of jobs.

Cheers

Dan

it's very simple solution but it takes guts.

STOP foreign import of steel.

No new projects may be authorised unless using Australian steel. ...all Australian railway lines MUST be Australian steel.

it isn't a hard thing to do, it just takes GUTS. if you are spineless you will be walked over.

I don't really know enough about it to comment, but what I do see is that Australia is sadly going the same way the UK did 15+ years ago..

As long as people want cheeper products, goods, food, cars etc there will always be the import market. It seems to cost a huge amount to manufacture anything here, and the government is largely to blame for the way the country is going. It is all too easy to buy stuff from overseas as it it too readily available. If local business's were favoured, and imported goods taxed heavily it would do a lot to help the situation. At work I have the option of Australian made equipment or imported equipment, and more often than not I source, purchase and sell the imports because... It arrives on time, has a good finish, is competitively priced, is reliable and works. We used to deal with several Australian firms, but things would arrive with bits missing, scratched, poorly finished, and often it wouldn't arrive at all... As a seller, it makes it nearly impossible to stay loyal which really frustrates me. I have recently sourced a few new local suppliers and am using them on the proviso that the quality is good, the stuff arrives on time and the price is competitive. So far so good. Trouble is you have to find it!!

Re the cars, Holden in particular.. IMO they didn't move with the times.. Large dated thirsty cars that devalue very quickly. I might be wrong, but if Holden had produced a potent fuel efficient diesel with a few euro touches they'd have had a winner.

The govt and the people have to really start looking after their own. So long as we all continue to buy the cheep crap that's available from abroad, and so long as the govt allow it to happen things won't change.

Re The Hecs debt.
Lindsay just did another xmas uni break working for a mining company.He gets paid very good money,pays plenty of tax.
He is still at uni,the break is his main money earner for the year.I said at least you will get all that tax back,no he says,the 3 month job puts him over the threshold and he gets Hecs debts taken out of his return despite not having completed his studies.
He also gets lower student payments from centrelink because I put too much into my super every fortnite.He doesnt live at home,hasnt done for 3 years.
Andrew