Ford Closing.

[Paddy_77HZ_Ute]

Local, state and federal governments, and all organisations funded by them should have to purchase Australian made vehicles. Heaps of sales, heaps of jobs, no more handouts. Unless I'm missing something it doesn't have to difficult.

[Taily]

Stop bringing in shit cars from china and thailand and support our car manufacturers but spose it to late
bloody labor government has a lot to answer to

I don't think you'll find it was the Labor party that brought most of this on, though they could well have done a great deal more about it.... It has been coming for almost 20 years. The real straw that broke the camel's back was the crap deal Howard ended-up with out of his "free trade agreement" with the US almost ten years ago. Ask our exporting farmers who still had to compete against US producers still recieving huge government hand-outs and assistance. The GFC has slowed this, but look at what is happening now with our own foodbowl now being sold off.... This affects everybody who lives here!

Ultimately our high dollar is attractive to overseas manufacturers to flood our markets with their cheap rubbish, but bad news for anyone who exports a value added product of any description from our shores.

Dave.

[Taily]

Wow. I guess the only positive is people that would buy a local Ford product may buy one of the other locally assembled cars ie Commodore, Cruze or one of the Toyotas which may help to keep them afloat.

I'm glad I bought at least one car that goes like stink that was made in Australia before they stopped making them here.

Oh well, lets see what the spares situation is going to bew like in 5 years....

Funny, we also bought a new Mitsubishi 380 just before they went bust too....

[Robbo]

It all started in the 80's, I think it was the 80's, when the first hyundai hit the market. Cheap korean crap, but they sold. Consecutive government's just kept on encouraging this. Looking after all the asian worker's at the expense of our own. People will buy these cheap crappy vehicles, for half the price of something tried and proven, loaded to the hilt with extra's, with enormous warranties thrown in as sweetener's. Yet in a few year's when they come to sell them, they realise they are worth absolutely nothing.

[wbute]

Probably just another example of financial management being put before social obligations by all governments. There are other issues that are just as bad as a car manufacturers pulling the pin happening in Australia that get no air time at all. Not sure if people have any interest in agriculture in Australia or just what they are handed to them at the supermarket these days. We no longer own or control our wheat export ports since Graincorp has been purchased by the overseas interests. I think we are going to end up completely over the barrel. All the forward planning done in the 1900's has been sold out to our competitors.

[playwme]

Bit rich to blame the government. The people want cheap cars, but they also want high wages. That combination doesn't work for local industry. Sure, trade deals get brokered but in the end it's the consumer that dictates whether or not a foreign manufacturer will do well.

[wbute]

Not entirely. Government plays a huge part in how a manufacturer performs through tax incentives and investing in infrastructure to benefit producers.

[83 WB_Ute]

Its troubling times of late.... :/

Few of you know, but I work for a Ford dealership now, and we very rarely see brand new Falcons or Territorys (the ones made in Gelong and Broad Medows plants..)
However we see multitudes of Fiestas, Focus' and Rangers..
To put it simply, I've been there for 3 months now, and have only seen 1 new Falcon and 2 Territorys come through the doors and then onto the showroom floor... Where as, you'd be lucky to find a week where we haven't had a Ranger come in! Some weeks we'll get 3 Rangers and 2 Fiestas in one hit, and all are/have been sold to customers before they have arrived!

Its sad to see that its happening, but its evolution. People will always buy the cheaper option, and it just becomes an issue of supplying the demand and with that, shops of all kinds will have the cheaper products to keep getting steady sales, rather than hoping for that one sale of good quality Australian made product to keep the business afloat for another month...

Its not just the automotive industry, as people have said, it the agricultural, but its mainly your normal retail outlets. Look at clothing for an example, Bonds and RMW is now producing their products overseas... 2 very famous Australian icons forced to do what needs to be done to keep the business/company running.

The internet doesn't help much either.. As has been said before, I agree that there should be a tax on imported products to level out the price on products to make it slightly more even competition for everyone across the board. Not only would it slow the rate of buying from overseas, but it'd make people buy from Austrailan shops, therfore building up the industry again...

Long story short is that, buy the time I finish my apprenticeship in 2017, I, nor will anyone be seeing Australian made Fords... Which is a shame.. :(

[83 WB_Ute]

Bit rich to blame the government. The people want cheap cars, but they also want high wages. That combination doesn't work for local industry. Sure, trade deals get brokered but in the end it's the consumer that dictates whether or not a foreign manufacturer will do well.

Spot on!!! However the government does play a part in it, its a minute part though.
Its a viscious circle, like you said, the consumer wants cheap stuff but they also want high wages... Usually you'll find the first to complain about a manufacturer going overeas are the ones who won't buy the Australian made products cause of the price....

[jennie285]

Local, state and federal governments, and all organisations funded by them should have to purchase Australian made vehicles. Heaps of sales, heaps of jobs, no more handouts. Unless I'm missing something it doesn't have to difficult.

The reason they axed phase 4 gtho was because the government told ford and Holden in the 70's they would cancel their contracts for cars If they kept building muscle cars. So what happened to that deal I wonder?