Private vehicle tax deduction, a hypothetical

[imugli]

I think Australians VALUE Australian made, but as a whole are not prepared to put any value ON it.

[93EB_SXR6]

Fascinating concept. Such an idea could still save Holden and Toyota but I think it's time to accept that Ford Australia is gone.
I don't think much can be done to save Australian vehicle manufacturing now, it's just a matter of time before Holden announce the inevitable. Toyota may stick around a bit longer.

[DRU842]

So why support the car industry over any other Australian industry, with this type of proposal?
What are the 'local content' measures; jobs, dollars....., Who decides; the same bureaucrats / politicians that have created the current mess?

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by DRU842

So why support the car industry over any other Australian industry, with this type of proposal?
What are the 'local content' measures; jobs, dollars....., Who decides; the same bureaucrats / politicians that have created the current mess?

It's not really the fault of politicians, it's more to do with the insistence of the greater buying public
to access lower cost cars, the push to reduce government assistance to the local car industry is
purely a byproduct of increased buyer focus on imported products.

The reason why Ford and Holden chose large car in the first place was that they originally offered
substantial profit that could cover the cost of local manufacturing but that has been steadily eroded
over the last 20-30 years. The current XR6 can be had for similar price as 18 years ago and where
imported vehicles now have scales of economy to contain those costs, local manufacturers don't.

So there's only two choices, manufacture subsidised products or go broke selling loss makers.

[aussie muscle]

Originally Posted by Lotte

You seem to be under the illusion Australia operates on a true free market. It doesn't.
We're the only country with close to zero (if not zero) percentage tariffs,.and we're the only country that doesn't properly subsidise vehicle development.
We're on an uneven playing field and we're certainly not part of a free market.

of course we are. it's just we're the ONLY ones that do it, every other country protects their own industries.