The Great Australia Party (GAP) opposes globalism and will withdraw from international treaties that harm our manufacturing industry. Our policy is import replacement; we will restructure tax, banking, finance, training and reduce energy costs, to allow our industry to compete on a true level playing field.
GAP acknowledges small business is a major employer, therefore policies affecting it have a direct impact, we believe laws and regulations should be reduced and structured to encourage new and existing business and ensure fair competition.
GAP believes that tourism is best served by Australians touring Australia as there is little gain from international tourism, our tax and energy policies will encourage business.
GAP fully protects small business and will work to reduce red tape and outlaw administrators and receivers in the event of hard times. Our small businesses are the microorganisms of the economy and must be preserved.
GAP is strongly opposed to the “free trade” economic policies, which over the past years have led to the gradual destruction of the Australian manufacturing industry, with the resulting loss of hundreds of thousands of Australian jobs, an increasing dependence on the import of foreign goods to satisfy basic local demands and a deteriorating trade balance, creating a massive and rapidly growing foreign debt problem that is reflected in the declining value of our dollar.
The demise of our manufacturing industry has accentuated the serious unemployment problems. Once we manufactured 90% of our requirements now, we are unable to produce 10%, all caused by misguided policies implemented by successive relic governments since 1973. The continuation of these “globalist” policies will drive Australia to financial disaster, changing us from a wealthy and self-sufficient nation, to a “third world” nation, depending on the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and loans to pay our debts, thereby losing our economic and political freedoms.
GAP believes we must rebuild Australian Manufacturing by first and foremost changing our tax system. Ridding ourselves of the iniquitous GST and introducing the 21st Century Electronic Debit Tax. Secondly, we must take control of our energy resources to ensure we have the use of our abundant supplies at prices not inflated with taxes and profiteering. Finally, we need to reform our financial system to ensure the availability of long-term low interest rate loans to assist manufacturing.
GAP believes low taxes and energy costs and cheap finance provides the opportunity for manufacturing industry to prosper once more and with-it job opportunities, export replacement and reduction in our trade imbalance and debt.
GAP believes that the federal governments entering into various trade agreements, such as the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and the LIMA Agreement, which force local Australian industries and farmers to compete with imports from cheaper manufacturing and producing countries. Since Australia’s living standards, wage rates and other production costs are comparatively high due to poor economic management, unless Australians are prepared to take a cut in those things or get rid of the government, this can only have one effect – to wipe out Australian manufacturing and farming industry, that is precisely what their policies have achieved Globalism. This loss of our manufacturing industry has reduced us to third world economy, resulting in loss of jobs and opportunities for our youth. Therefore, GAP is committed to reversing the situation.
GAP suggests that as globalism and ensuing debt has reduced us to a third world country, we should develop strategic plans for manufacturing industry sectors in line with LIMA aims, consulting business, unions, trade experts and the regions, that identify future opportunities and the best means of industry meeting those opportunities.
Some of the LIMA Agenda that now pertains directly to Australian Industry. Quoted and abridged from the following declarations.
51) Every attempt must be made to promote agro-based or agro-related industries that besides arresting rural exodus and stimulating food production activities, provide an incentive for the establishment of further natural resource-based industry.
52) Devote particular attention to the development of basic industries such as steel, chemical, petro-chemical and engineering, thereby consolidating economic independence while at the same time assuring an effective form of import-substitution and a greater share of world trade.
(53) Make possible the processing of natural resources and other raw materials in the country of origin and the establishment of permanent structure for specialised, rapid large scale and high-quality training of national labour at all levels.
(58)(h) Achievement of a higher degree of efficiency in import- substitution process and the formulation of appropriate incentive measures to encourage the export of manufactured and semi-manufactured products with the highest possible local content and value added potential;
(58) (I) development and strengthening of public, financial and other institutions in order to protect and stimulate industrial development, in particular, the basic rural, small, medium-scale and labour intensive manufacturing industries. end quote.
GAP proposes training program based on the needs of manufacturing industry, providing indentured apprenticeships. To achieve this education expenditure needs to be changed, with 70% to TAFE and 30% to Universities. This reflects statistics and the needs of industry, providing skills and opportunities for further education. For if we, as a nation, are going to grow and prosper in this new millennium, we must educate our children to ensure that our way of life and freedom will survive the test of time.
GAP believes in ‘Fair trade and not free trade’, with support to protect our vital manufacturing industries equal to those imposed on us by other countries for similar products. Except in the case of those countries where manufacturing industry employs slave labour rates, in which case an equalisation levy will apply to protect our labour rates.
Definition of Small Business: Enterprises with less than 20 employees in all industries except manufacturers where they have less than 100 employees and agriculture where they have an estimated value of agriculture operations of between $22,500 & $400,000.
GAP believes that tourism and travel is best served by a commitment to industry quality control that is consumer driven and not industry driven.
Reduction or elimination of taxes and charges that hinder the industry, especially crippling fuel prices.
