Check it out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uFYW5tMoeg


Quote:

Holden died in Australia, officially, in December 2013. But doctors will turn off the life support today - October 20, 2017. There’s a tremendous amount of uninformed speculation about why this has happened - you’ll see that on the news today. If you want to know the truth … let’s roll. The politicians will blame each other. Carmakers will blame the politicians, and us, and the local market, the high cost of labour (and on this point I’d say: they make cars successfully in Germany, don’t they?) They’ll blame the unions. Whatever. But if you want to know the truth, you have to listen very hard for what Ford and Holden do not say on this. What’s not being said here - by neither Ford nor Holden - what they will not say - is that they got their manufacturing operations, staggeringly, horribly wrong. Ford and Holden stopped building the cars that Australians wanted to drive. Therefore, they bought elsewhere. It’s that simple. This process happened over many years. It was identifiable and the operations were salvageable - for a long time. But Ford and Holden luxuriated through a decade of the worst ever product planning decisions, floating on a sea of public money - taxpayer funds. We paid them to get this wrong. And we did pay them rather a lot. Holden got $2.17 billion of your taxpayer funds from 2001 to 2012 inclusive. That’s an average of $180 million dollars a year. And that means, if you drove past a Holden dealer in 2012 and you saw in the corner of your eye, just one shiny new Holden Commodore on the lot - there was about $2000 of your money built into that car. Here’s how this worked: This was the Mafia’s business model, Detroit-style. It’s a money-for-jobs extortion-style deal, with some faceless Ford and GM bigwigs as the mafia, and the relevant Australian Federal Industry Minister as the poor bastard gaffer-taped to the chair. In October 2013 - just two months before pulling the pin - Holden went ‘Mafia 2.0’ on the Australian Government. They have never revealed the size of the additional extortionate demand on the table, to keep the factory open. Reports at the time suggested sums ranging from $150 million to $265 million, which sounds plausible. Remember - this was five months after Ford announced it was out. There was a great deal of uncertainty about the future of the industry, and a new Government was steering the ship. The new Federal Treasurer at the time - Joe Hockey - famously said, rhetorically, to Holden, in Parliament (quote) “either you’re here or you’re not”. It was a demand for Holden to reveal its long-term intentions for manufacturing and jobs. Then-Prime Minister Tony Abbott flat-out refused to up the ante, saying: "There's not going to be any extra money over and above the generous support the taxpayers have been giving the motor industry for a long time." Holden Boss Mark Bernhard has called for (quote) “dignity and respect” today. He said: “We don’t want a circus.” Indeed. Let’s depart from normal Holden operations and not have a circus on this last solemn day, shall we? Make no mistake, if you are a Holden worker, or if you were a Holden worker, or a worker at one of the component suppliers, or the other two carmakers, then my heart goes out to you, and you have my complete, unreserved respect and sympathy. I don’t think anyone seriously believes the failure of these operations was in any way abetted by the work you did, which was in my view excellent. You are in this position because of (in my view) shady decisions taken over many years in Detroit, by senior executives far too clever to burden themselves with tailoring the product to suit the market, especially as it was so much fun to float on a sea in life-rafts stuffed with Australian taxpayer’s funds. Your money. Perhaps you think I’m joking. The pool party in Detroit is still on. On the 29th of January this year the Australian Financial Review published an obscure story entitled: “Holden sends $150 million back to General Motors in Detroit as closure looms” That sum equates to $1.5 million returned for each of the 100 shares issued in Holden. In my view, there’s your absolute commitment to Australia, right there. Mark Bernhard wants dignity and respect today - and I agree in relation to the workers and their plight. Personally, however, I find Holden’s behaviour absolutely undignified, and worthy of no respect whatsoever. If you are a patriotic Australian, I would suggest you take this on board and make an informed decision when the time is right to buy your next new car. A solemn, tragic day today. It would be a far greater tragedy, however, if we do not learn from it.

Check the comments


Quote:

Arizona Northstar 1 day ago (edited) You Aussie's auto workers need to do what should be done. Confiscate the plant. Start a new company and build cars and trucks the people of Australia want. It truly belongs to you the people of Australia. You have paid for it. I have seen this time and time again here in the states. Where they have gotten both local, state and Federal money, or tax abatement . Only to close the place and then leave it sit and rot. But they keep the property on the books as a asset. While the town or city sits there with nothing. The executives are reeling in giant bonuses because the stock went up on plant "consolidation". Good luck to you men and women who worked there over the years. As free and independent citizens of the world today. We all see and feel the same BS... Please whatever you do. Don't stop shipping us Lamb. Believe it or not. We count on your Lamb.

Quote:

skepticalvision 1 day ago I've always been amused that a large proportion of the knuckle dragging set in Aussie actually believe that Holden was an Australian owned and operated company.  At least now we are rid of two toxic cash cow milkers who have long been addicted to the teat of government subsidies.  I do feel sorry for Toyota as they were given no chance for survival here due to economies of scale and a lack of parts manufacturers. REPLY 24 david husband david husband 1 day ago yep I've tried to inform these holden bogans for years that they were based on chev vauxhall and opels, but they wouldn't listen to me. holden was never australian. REPLY 4 Devin Stambolziovski Devin Stambolziovski 1 day ago If holdens australian than ford's american haha REPLY 1 Leon Cutajar Leon Cutajar 1 day ago What difference would being Australian have made? With the lopsided and wide open trade agreements Australia has with the 3rd world combined with the high regulation, taxes and cost of living only an idiot would manufacture anything major in Australia. Look how many "australian" products are manufactured overseas. Hills Hoists and Bonds are two household Australian brands which come to mind. Read more REPLY 2 Chris M Chris M 1 day ago You morons actually think Aussies don't know what the GM in GMH stands for ?  Aussies were proud of Holden because it was built in Australia , not because they thought it was Australian . Perhaps you smacking know it alls  should ease up on your delusion that you're smarter than everyone else because it's pretty obvious that you're not . Not even close . REPLY 5 skepticalvision skepticalvision 23 hours ago Oi buggerknuckle, many down here are clueless bogans who really thought that Holden is Australian owned and operated. REPLY 3 MrVice123456 MrVice123456 15 hours ago david husband the VE and VF were the first Australian designed and built Commodore. REPLY Paul David Cross Paul David Cross 12 hours ago https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjyiIjF3YHXAhVGObwKHR2QD_EQFggoMAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.caradvice.com.au%2F477431%2Fholden-commodore-as-australian-as-bratwurst%2F&usg=AOvVaw3-iaTn4g8sdVG3iLLowjXM REPLY A l e x a n d e r A l e x a n d e r 8 hours ago +Chris M lol! Trust me! Most Aussie bogans don’t care what GMH stands for. All they care about is football, meat pies, kangaroos and holden cars. For them the only Aussie car is a holden!... “Australia’s driving future”!!!!

I believe we needed a car industry and that we still do.
Than again I think we needed refineries and still do.

Singapore stops supplies of fuel...two weeks later in Australia it won't matter what car you own.

The country will be on its knees

Francis wrote on Oct 22^nd, 2017 at 12:47pm:

I believe we needed a car industry and that we still do. Than again I think we needed refineries and still do. Singapore stops supplies of fuel...two weeks later in Australia it won't matter what car you own. The country will be on its knees

AUSTRALIA was the only car manufacturer in the world that didn't protect it's industry. Every other one has some protections on it auto industry.

the buggerwits that agreed to and signed the FTA's should be shot for treason

Francis wrote on Oct 22^nd, 2017 at 12:47pm:

I believe we needed a car industry and that we still do. Than again I think we needed refineries and still do. Singapore stops supplies of fuel...two weeks later in Australia it won't matter what car you own. The country will be on its knees

Yep, we're the only country that has no reserves of oil and gas for OURSELVES.........!!!

And we have plenty in the ground.

Also of the reserves we have it's all owned by a hand full of people, not our government or the public.

Who said we are a smart country.............???

John Smith wrote on Oct 22^nd, 2017 at 12:51pm:

Francis wrote on Oct 22nd, 2017 at 12:47pm: I believe we needed a car industry and that we still do. Than again I think we needed refineries and still do. Singapore stops supplies of fuel...two weeks later in Australia it won't matter what car you own. The country will be on its knees AUSTRALIA was the only car manufacturer in the world that didn't protect it's industry. Every other one has some protections on it auto industry. the buggerwits that agreed to and signed the FTA's should be shot for treason

Why should we give big corporations subsidies I don't see the local milkbar on the cornet getting any.

I guess that's why we have no more milkbars...... :o

Maybe Trump has recalled them back to the USA.

He did say the USA first and then all others.

I wish that sickness would catch on to some of our politicians.

I'ld like to see that........!!!!

Australia first and then all others............ 8-)

They say that Holden was costing us 2 Billion a decade - but it was generating around $27 Billion in the economy.

Not such a bad deal.

Ajax wrote on Oct 22^nd, 2017 at 1:25pm:

Maybe Trump has recalled them back to the USA. He did say the USA first and then all others. I wish that sickness would catch on to some of our politicians. I'ld like to see that........!!!! Australia first and then all others............ 8-)

Lock the Gates!!  Trade here on our terms or go somewhere else.... we're under no obligation to service the global economy, and if you choose not to operate here under our rules and pay your way doing it, someone else will take your market share and play by the new rules we set in place.

Francis wrote on Oct 22^nd, 2017 at 12:47pm:

I believe we needed a car industry and that we still do. Than again I think we needed refineries and still do. Singapore stops supplies of fuel...two weeks later in Australia it won't matter what car you own. The country will be on its knees

Is that an Australian owned industry or a foreign one that has no allegiance or loyalty to this country and is only here as long as the tax payer handouts keep comming ?

Grappler Racist Filth wrote on Oct 22^nd, 2017 at 2:54pm:

Ajax wrote on Oct 22nd, 2017 at 1:25pm: Maybe Trump has recalled them back to the USA. He did say the USA first and then all others. I wish that sickness would catch on to some of our politicians. I'ld like to see that........!!!! Australia first and then all others............ 8-) Lock the Gates!!  Trade here on our terms or go somewhere else.... we're under no obligation to service the global economy, and if you choose not to operate here under our rules and pay your way doing it, someone else will take your market share and play by the new rules we set in place.

Well said... 8-) 8-) 8-) 8-) 8-) 8-) 8-) 8-) 8-) 8-) 8-) 8-) 8-) 8-)

Sir lastnail wrote on Oct 22^nd, 2017 at 7:11pm:

Francis wrote on Oct 22nd, 2017 at 12:47pm: I believe we needed a car industry and that we still do. Than again I think we needed refineries and still do. Singapore stops supplies of fuel...two weeks later in Australia it won't matter what car you own. The country will be on its knees Is that an Australian owned industry or a foreign one that has no allegiance or loyalty to this country and is only here as long as the tax payer handouts keep comming ?

Yep Australian owned is the way to go....... 8-)

Ajax wrote on Oct 22^nd, 2017 at 1:23pm:

John Smith wrote on Oct 22nd, 2017 at 12:51pm: Francis wrote on Oct 22nd, 2017 at 12:47pm: I believe we needed a car industry and that we still do. Than again I think we needed refineries and still do. Singapore stops supplies of fuel...two weeks later in Australia it won't matter what car you own. The country will be on its knees AUSTRALIA was the only car manufacturer in the world that didn't protect it's industry. Every other one has some protections on it auto industry. the buggerwits that agreed to and signed the FTA's should be shot for treason Why should we give big corporations subsidies I don't see the local milkbar on the cornet getting any. I guess that's why we have no more milkbars...... :o

I didn't comment on subsidies, I said protections ...

But since you mentioned subsidies, usually, I agree that govt. has no business subsidising the private sector ............. but when the cost of subsidies outweighs the cost of not subsidising, then it's a no brainer.

Utter GetUp! style FAKE NEWS from the attention seeking LostSnail.

The "article" is clearly very biased to try to placate and protect the corrupt unions.

The Union slime are worried about the backlash against the unions over their forcing Ford, Holden, and Toyota to leave Australia as a result of the unions' relentless sabotage and extortion.

The govt was laundering taxpayers' money thru Holden and Ford so Holden and Ford could pass the money onto the grasping groping unions so the unions would modify their sabotage and extortion.

All Joe Hockey did was to stop the illegal laundering of taxpayers' money to the corrupt unions.

It was without a shadow of doubt that the corrupt Commo unions were the REAL reason that FORCED Ford, Holden, and Toytota to leave Australia. The conditions and cost increases they FORCED on Ford, Holden, and Toyota simply meant they could not compete with their overseas competitors.

Ford, Holden, and Toyota did NOT upgrade their factories simply because they could see no future here when they were constantly being brutalized by the hostile corrupt Commo union thugs.

Now you know the TRUTH.  GetUp! will be horrified!!!

Have to spend some to gain more?

Some unidentified Global Warming emissions detected from somewhere deep in the overgrown abandoned world of political correctness.

round up the Holden and Ford CEOs

and hang em and hang em high


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

juliar wrote on Oct 23^rd, 2017 at 5:59am:

Utter GetUp! style FAKE NEWS from the attention seeking LostSnail. The "article" is clearly very biased to try to placate and protect the corrupt unions. The Union slime are worried about the backlash against the unions over their forcing Ford, Holden, and Toyota to leave Australia as a result of the unions' relentless sabotage and extortion. The govt was laundering taxpayers' money thru Holden and Ford so Holden and Ford could pass the money onto the grasping groping unions so the unions would modify their sabotage and extortion. All Joe Hockey did was to stop the illegal laundering of taxpayers' money to the corrupt unions. It was without a shadow of doubt that the corrupt Commo unions were the REAL reason that FORCED Ford, Holden, and Toytota to leave Australia. The conditions and cost increases they FORCED on Ford, Holden, and Toyota simply meant they could not compete with their overseas competitors. Ford, Holden, and Toyota did NOT upgrade their factories simply because they could see no future here when they were constantly being brutalized by the hostile corrupt Commo union thugs. Now you know the TRUTH.  GetUp! will be horrified!!!

Rubbish ! Toyota upgraded its factory here idiot as featured on this National Geographic Megafatories doco. Get your facts straight socko instead of spouting off your Getup and anti-union crap. Why don't you just come clean and admit that you pollies stuffed up big time on the manufacturing front :(

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gbp5jRH5eCs