Wise people in Australia were telling the powers that be decades ago that we should have been manufacturing steel products using the initial boom of the 1960's (yes that far back) to get that going. It was never going to happen as the Liberal party have no comprehension of what it is to make wealth by getting dirty and only contempt for those that do.
In recent decades the Labor Party despite its union origins lost its way and was no longer run by union men who worked their way up the ladder to be run by 'green' type people who saw the government as a bottomless pit of money by which to fund and feed ever more 'refugees' and migrants into this country but with no guarantee of them ever having to work.
A mining magnate of that era wanted to build sister steel making plants one in the east of Australia the other in the west. In the west is the massive iron-ore fields and in the east is the coal. An all weather rail system was proposed taking Iron ore east and taking coal west.
Such a massive project would have been an employer on a huge scale. Water is no problem as during the 'wet' season in the north there are rivers that run with units of flood measured by 'sydarbs' that is Sydney Harbors full by the day. For those who are lost get your atlas out and look at the size of Sydney harbor you will get the picture. But no. with all federal election fought and won among the main population base within 100 k of Sydney this was never going to happen.
Australia once had a small but enterprising aircraft industry. This too was destroyed by neglect.
The national picture in farming has not been helped by years of drought then flood. Now the food basket of Australia is now under threat from fracking.
The "Greens" supposedly in love with the land belie their title and oppose anyone who wants to hunt or fish and become hysterical if anyone suggests any form of accountability on anyone for their actions.
Once when the world price of copper fell and it looked like mines would close with flow on impact to those towns the government again was told keep the mines open and stockpile copper as ingots. No way! the liberals said they believe in the 'free market' and the mines would have to go it alone as Australia's farmers have for generations (with more government interference that help.)
Engineering innovation that would have employed thousands of people in quality jobs were lost due to govt lethargy or interference. Here its known as the cultural cringe never backing anything locally made.
Through all this there is an industry whose purpose it is to down grade to nil all the government departments whose workers at the bottom of that food chain have had more and more work dumped on them while the admin levels have expanded absorbing funds that would fund staff training or better equipment and sites.
Among this still is a leukemic thinking that new employees must pass the "Essential Criteria" its called where by you have to bullshit your way past all other applicants. ES is farcical as the Google will reveal pages of companies who promise to get you through to interview, they will sell you the phrases and words that "Govt depts like to hear" to get you through. This distills into an evil brew where those employed will be entirely personally fixated with little regard for service to the common good. Whats more when such stuff up planning or acquisitions to the tune of millions ... well there is no accountability.. none.
Write to ANY politician about the ES thing is to get NO reply. I recall seeing a file left out for a cleaners position and on the front was written "Not forward looking". The person was a single mum, working hard to raise her two kids and with little ability or time to learn the new world way of bullshit. But work ethic? Not a problem there.
That is the lesson for today.
I love this terrible savage country and all we have created in the past 200 years with all the mistakes as a given.
Any other countries having the same experiences?
Line up please. I have attended a funeral today so am feeling a touch self indulgent.
rant over.
Rant over.
