'Major announcement' from Toyota this afternoon

[robertjp]

Originally Posted by JG34JA

The Button Plan is finally complete.

John Button would be turning in his grave. How long ago was this set in place and never reviewed or updated. As time changed this plan from the 80's remained. All politicians should be ashamed for letting this happen, but if I say what I really think I will get banned and sent to court for libel and slander.

[pottery beige]

Hey we can all get jobs in the mines
lols they're ****** toos

[mr smith]

Originally Posted by Barraxr8

It's not really important, Shapelle is still the latest update on the Age online.

That's exactly why Australia is in trouble, the average aussie is more interested in cheap 5hit holidays to Bali, crap tattoos and who won the cricket, rather than the country going down the drain and the apathetic job being done by our leaders (both parties include here)

[Road_Warrior]

John Button and Paul Keating were right. Everyone who came after them squandered the opportunities that lay before us.

[GASWAGON]

It was bound to happen.....Trying to save $3,800 from build cost is just too hard in Oz, thats alot of money per car while competing with Kia/Hyundai......So now after 40 years of solid performance even the Japanese are in the same boat as the U.S were in the 70's.

What is suprising me is that they're waiting until 2017.....Like Ford just did they may gradually reduce job numbers as time goes by and less and less cars are ordered???

[Joe5619]

What a said day!!

Interesting on the news they said one of the reason Toyota gave was the new free trade agreements we are working on now with Asia countries was in countries going to be build the new Camry.. So this just make it easier to leave Australia

Can someone one tell which industries actually come out in-front from FTA's? Serious question.

[pottery beige]

Centrelink is gonna be flat out

[Adamz Ghia]

To think it was only 2004 we had Ford, Holden and Toyota going gangbusters, and Mitsubishi just plodding along, and just a decade later all 4 are out.

[blueoval]

The writing was on the wall.

Question is how long will this thread last before some one points the finger of blame.

[Struggo]

Watching the collapse is akin to watching a sick relative fade away, we all knew it was coming..........................

Extremely sad day for all those involved in the automotive sector of this great country :-(

[nstg8a]

Originally Posted by blueoval

The writing was on the wall.

Question is how long will this thread last before some one points the finger of blame.

Well I think within the first 5/6 posts someone suggested Australians were stupid....

[Road_Warrior]

Originally Posted by Joe5619

Can someone one tell which industries actually come out in-front from FTA's? Serious question.

If you ask me nobody, the statement on the DFAT webpage which is straight from the "Key Outcomes - Fact Sheet" for the Korea-Australia FTA (still proposed) says:

It is true that some sectors may face increased competition from imports of Korean products and services, such as motor vehicles, automotive parts, steel products and textiles, clothing and footwear. This impact will be in line with the progressive liberalisation already underway in the Australia economy.

In other words, get stuffed car industry, steel industry, textile industry, we don't care and we're not listening to you

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by pottery beige

Centrelink is gonna be flat out

My old man works there, they're already cutting 2 customer service people per office in Melbourne and there is already hour long waits on the phone and the lines are out the door every morning.

Centrelink is already flat out, its horrible to deal with and its only going to get much much worse.

Originally Posted by mr smith

Looks like its going down.

I'm shouting TIMBEEEERRRRR!!! (Kesha song reference)

[Trump]

Originally Posted by blueoval

The writing was on the wall.

Question is how long will this thread last before some one points the finger of blame.

The blame is multi faceted Shav.

- Govco are to blame for creating the foundation for the two speed economy we have now.
- The buying public is also to blame for turning their nose at local product because of badge snobbery and perceived status and prestige that comes with owning the right badge.
- The car companies themselves are also to blame in regards to build quality (perceived and otherwise), keeping up with technology and woeful marketing (I am looking at you Ford).
- The dealers are also to blame with their woeful after sales attitude (read: they all do that; we didn't find anything out of the ordinary).

All in all, the demise of manufacturing in Australia is a damning indictment on the current mentality prevalent in the corridors of power and an even harsher indictment on the state of the nation as a whole.

The question now is, are we able to create a new, high value specialised manufacturing industry to replace the traditional manufacturing industries or has the base been destroyed to the point of no return and thus render any upstarts dead in the water?

[Franco Cozzo]

We can all work at Maccas, seeya round like a quarter pound!

[Syndrome]

Once Ford announced their closure the others were bound to follow.

[Outbackjack]

Originally Posted by pottery beige

Centrelink is gonna be flat out

And we can expect a tax rise somewhere to pay for all the welfare that all these poor beggars are going to need. These closures mean more pain for Australia than most can see..... The ripple effect will hurt badly!!


God damn the last 3 Governments... All the vote buying and middle class welfare have ruined this country...

[Charliewool]

What REALLY ****ses me off is Bill "commo" Shorten blaming the Libs, the dollar, and the car makers... FFS, wasn't he "el presidenta" of the bloody mob that caused this whole tragic fiasco?
AWU and AMWU... Hope your all bloody happy now and I pray all your delegates and reps ALSO lose their corrupt, shonky, blackmailing, bludging friggin jobs too!

[Fordman1]

We really need a bipartisan Vision for this country, and a vision for employment for those that aren't professionals.

Wouldn't it be nice if both sides of Parliament sat down and committed to a plan for the next 25 years ( and saw it through ) ?

I can see a train wreck for our children to deal with. When commodity prices crash and the dollar goes back to $US 70 what is our future ?

[OCTANEBOSS]

Sorry to hear the news that more will lose jobs because another car company failure to manage its assets properly. Just hope any future Multi nationals don't come back with pi*** offers in the future to suck up some more blood that has been spilled from previous Australians & Aussie companies that generate employment & wealth for this country.


Got some good news for a change..met the new owners of the Gold mining operation I work at today. More than willing to take on a operation that has been divested by one of worlds biggest gold miners. (barrick rapists & pillagers )... & they aint American, Canadian, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, English or from any other the nation that seems to capitalize on Australia's fortunate position. An ASX 200 Aussie company. Not to many around like this that are prepared to put there *alls on the line like this over recent years. Funny how these big international corporations go pear shaped at some stage or another.

[JG34JA]

Originally Posted by Loud_Noises

The question now is, are we able to create a new, high value specialised manufacturing industry to replace the traditional manufacturing industries or has the base been destroyed to the point of no return and thus render any upstarts dead in the water?

We should be able to. Aussies are very inventive. What we will have to look for is policy that supports manufacturing, AUD adjusting down, capital being available, a windback of restrictive legislation, a culture that is supportive of risk taking and new concepts, and some incentive for entrepreneurs not to bail the country to go overseas where it's easier to commercialise ideas.

[Road_Warrior]

Originally Posted by Barraxr8

I can see a train wreck for our children to deal with. When commodity prices crash and the dollar goes back to $US 70 what is our future ?

And this is precisely what concerns me. But its ok apparently; everyone can transition to more "efficient" industries like service or tourism.

[BroadyFord]

The only ray of light is that Toyota's facilities are relatively new (especially the engine plant) and as such *COULD* be attractive to another company.

Wishful thinking of course...

[turbodewd]

20% GST on cars. We dont make em and we need the revenue. Make it happen Tony.

[CSV_LS1]

What are the chances now that a manufacturer ie; Chrysler could come in and grab the unions by the balls and get wages and incentives they want?

[neptune blue]

We (the Australian motoring public) are to blame
we simply didn't back our own product -
I have always purchased Australian cars both Ford and Holden - I wouldn't be seen dead in a Mazda or Hyundai, but the majority of people simply don't think like me anymore

[Trump]

Originally Posted by JG34JA

We should be able to. Aussies are very inventive. What we will have to look for is policy that supports manufacturing, AUD adjusting down, capital being available, a windback of restrictive legislation, a culture that is supportive of risk taking and new concepts, and some incentive for entrepreneurs not to bail the country to go overseas where it's easier to commercialise ideas.

All awesome ideas except... I don't see capital, I see mountains of debt. We can't keep kicking the can down the road funding everything with yet more debt. There will come a time when the interest payable on said debt will grow so large, it will take every single cent of taxation to simply service it.

[karj]

I've got a lot of respect for the way Toyota are managing this announcement.

Akio Toyoda flying into Australia and fronting the workers and media is an acknowledgement of the magnitude of the decision and displays a huge level of respect for the workforce. Quite a stark contrast to the way Detroit managed the Holden and Ford Australia closures.

[Trump]

And there is Macfarlane on ABC24 rabbiting on and singing the praises of the FTA's that buried the Australian automotive industry... do the talking govco heads have no shame?

[Adamz Ghia]

Originally Posted by neptune blue

We (the Australian motoring public) are to blame
we simply didn't back our own product -
I have always purchased Australian cars both Ford and Holden - I wouldn't be seen dead in a Mazda or Hyundai, but the majority of people simply don't think like me anymore

Bit of both blame wise, Ford, Holden, Toyota and Mitsubishi didn't really cater to the growth markets. Ford did with Territory but left it to rot.