Chaotic early industrial development caused a lot of harm and pollution and many people today still have serious doubts whether industry works for them or not. The fact is that industry follows the same development path as our knowledge and it often takes centuries before we can harvest the fruits of our pioneering efforts. We have no doubt that after another century today’s most modern factories shall look as dirty, dangerous and antiquated as the steam engines of the industrial revolution. In order to solve our current industrial problems and make it through to tomorrow we have to strengthen our resolve and work harder and smarter. Clean, ethical and socially responsible industry is the only way to restore nature and achieve social progress and harmony. Abandoning or strangling our industry shall only produce misery and wouldn’t restore neither nature nor happiness.

None of our other policies will work without strong industry providing us with the necessary power, funds, goods and services. Without hard work we shall never catch up with the developed world and achieve high cultural and material standards.

Before we can think of better health care, education or welfare we have to focus our attention on our industry. The globalisation of our economy is facing us with new challenges on a daily basis. In order to be competitive we have to adapt and often make many painful compromises. In the past decade we have seen many of our production facilities closed or relocated to Asia where labour cost and regulations are more affordable. Our survival as a growing industrial nation is based on attracting investments in a greedy, profit driven world market. This may be good news for some, or bad for others, but it is the reality. We can’t change it, at least in the short term. We have to make our best in order to improve our investment value and ratings in the eyes of often pitiless financial elite. We can achieve this only if we have better understanding of the economic realities and also provide modern infrastructure, streamlined and affordable corporate law and taxation, and prompt resolution of industrial disputes.

Measures aimed at supporting our industry and attracting new investments will include:

• Lowering and simplifying business taxes  - see Finance and Taxation

• Introducing subsidies for farmers, similar to those in US or EU. At this stage it is unlikely to expect that any of them will stop their current practice and give our agricultural exports a fair go. For many of our drought-stricken farmers this will make a huge difference, which shall ease the tension on the rising food prices.

• Budget substantial capital and other resources at replacing our polluting coal-fired power stations with clean alternatives. This massive project shall not only protect our environment but also help establish many new industries and open substantial export opportunities in the near future.

• Liberalise the business and working days and hours as outlined in “Employment”.

• Our new peaceful stance will boost many industries such as tourism, education and commerce.

• Removing all artificial obstacles (we have enough natural ones such as remoteness from traditional markets and associated high transport cost) and expanding our mining and exploration to satisfy the growing world demand for fuel and raw materials. Any new mine shall be developed under strict and uniform environmental guidelines applicable for the entire country. These shall include constant and comprehensive pollution monitoring and data access by EPA and complete site rehabilitation after conclusion of the mining operations.

• Support and encouragement for our own “hi-tech” industries will reduce our dependence on mining and commodity prices.

• Improving our ageing infrastructure will facilitate both business and public, as well as safety.

• Strengthening the “Buy Australian made” campaign and enforcing minimum local content requirements for all government projects. Such efforts will preserve our own assets and technology, as well as provide employment for many of us.

• We shall encourage free trade and sign free-trade agreements with all interested countries.

Also see: Information & Media