642 replies to this topic

[eyepeeler]

The ABC reports Holden pull out all but done.
http://www.abc.net.a...2016-17/5138942

[Dr Terry]

Typical ABC reporting, all speculation based on rumour. They love dome & gloom, especially when it helps destroys a commercial entity. Remember the ABC is just another Govt. 'Iron Lung' where nobody has to produce anything or be accountable to anyone. It was the ABC which caused the premature demise of the Australian Mitsubishi factory.

 

Both the Govt. & Holden have said that no decision has been made. Stories like this in the media can only hasten the wrong decision being made.

 

Dr Terry

[Rockoz]

Bloody ABC. Just take the spying scandal.

Was a Gillard/Rudd issue.

They had the info and sat on it while labor were in power. Released the info so it would hurt LNP not their leftist mates.

Most journalists suck anyway, never letting truth get in the way of sensationalism.

ABC are the worst of the lot and we pay them way too much for the crap they produce.

[eyepeeler]

Typical ABC reporting, all speculation based on rumour. They love dome & gloom, especially when it helps destroys a commercial entity. Remember the ABC is just another Govt. 'Iron Lung' where nobody has to produce anything or be accountable to anyone. It was the ABC which caused the premature demise of the Australian Mitsubishi factory.
 
Both the Govt. & Holden have said that no decision has been made. Stories like this in the media can only hasten the wrong decision being made.
 
Dr Terry

Do you think the brass from Detroit even know ABC news or care what they write about?? GM will be about the bottom line, and news reports wouldn't sway a decision.

[Dr Terry]

Exactly, news reports won't change anything in Detroit directly, but will change buyers attitudes in Australia & can also affect the decisions made by the various politicians involved, which will change the bottom-line, which will then affect the decision made in Detroit.

 

Dr Terry

[eyepeeler]

Fair point, I wouldn't have thought that it would influence sales to such a degree. Maybe it does, would have to agree oz772 that it does sound irrational.

It just seems as though it is destined to happen no matter what any news outlet may report.

[Ice]

Its time this country woke up we waste so much money on foreign aid and keeping all the illegals in detention centres and god knows what else they waste money on
but we cant help a car industry in Australia that needs assistance
50000 jobs to go do we want these people to all go on the dole i know they all wont but cmon
wake up Australia and grow some balls
end of rant

[S pack]

I'll venture to say that GM will have already decided on the alternative courses of action they will take. If they get the Federal Govt assistance they require then Holden will stay (for a a few more years at least), if they don't then Holden will go.

Edited by S pack, 06 December 2013 - 01:19 PM.

[Dr Terry]

I'll venture to say that GM will have already decided on the alternative courses of action they will take. If they get the Federal Govt assistance they require then Holden will stay (for a a few more years at least), if they don't then Holden will go.

Correct, & Toyota will follow them out the door.

 

Every country in the world subsidises their car industry to some extent, we are at the lower end, dollarwise. The figures that I've seen say that every Australian current 'gives' $19 to support our car industry, while in France, Germany & the USA they support it to the tune of $100s per person. So we not talking huge $$$ in the great scheme of things.

 

Add to that the fact that our dollar is artificially high, then our exports are also doomed. This combined with our high wages is why we cannot compete, no matter how good our cars are.

 

If they can get a long term plan organised then maybe the industry will have a future.

 

Dr Terry

[Dr Terry]

Lets face it people the butt ugly fat dunnydore is not what the majority of buyers in 2013 want or else Holden would be viable and be doing fine.

Currently the Commodore is the no. 2 selling car & would be no.1 if they included the ute in the same sales figures. So to say that people don't want to buy it is incorrect.

 

See my comments above regarding why it's not currently viable.

 

The auto industry in Australia is too valuable to lose, it supports too many allied trades.

 

Dr Terry

[hanra]

I liked the days when we didnt allow rubbish car manufacturers into the country, Cherry, Mahindra, Kia etc. Who is responsible for this? The Government? If so, then they have an obligation to prop up the local manufacturer because the playing field is no longer level.

Australia is flooded with to many different car manufacturers, sure the consumer gets to buy a cheap car, but what are the long term costs associated with this? Its a bit like the TV market place these days, its all just crap cheap brands.

[Ice]

Currently the Commodore is the no. 2 selling car & would be no.1 if they included the ute in the same sales figures. So to say that people don't want to buy it is incorrect.
 
See my comments above regarding why it's not currently viable.
 
The auto industry in Australia is too valuable to lose, it supports too many allied trades.
 
Dr Terry

Your spot on terry the new commodore would shit on most imported cars today not only in safety features but in build quality
And there not ugly col compared to some other crap that that lands here
The high wages in this country is going to be the demise of lots of business here notjust our car industry mark my words

[WhiteA9XS]

Thailand built commodore ? .. insult to Australia ...

[Dr Terry]

$2 billion over 10 years is $200m a year.
People say 50,000 jobs hinge on Holden's survival.
$200,000,000 divided by 50,000 jobs is a $4000 cost to the taxpayer a year for each job.

I'm no economist but those numbers seem much cheaper to me than 50,000 extra on the dole with zero productivity.
Maybe the government should keep supporting Holden and keep the people working?

Precisely !!

In these tough times, we need to keep things at home.

How does it benefit Australia to throw another 50,000 people on the genuinely employed list.

Dr Terry

[eyepeeler]

Whilst it is good for Australia to have Holden stay afloat, that decision will be made by Americans. Even if the commodore is a local success, if the Americans ie GM can import a replacement cheaper then that's what they'll do.
What do you think it will take for GM to keep Holden alive. How much government assistance? How much will it take?
Say GM did want to shut Holden manufacturing down, what are your thoughts on it being sold off to another car giant that wants to use the facility to make a Holden.