Sustainability is not a dirty word

Many third world countries rely entirely on selling raw materials for their GDP and then use these earnings to purchase defence equipment, cars and other manufactured items and luxury goods. Are we starting to assume the profile of a third world country?

With a small and declining manufacturing base unable to meet ambitious defence requirements, Australian mining wealth is used to purchase expensive items of equipment that the government has been unable to strategically justify. Luxury and necessary items are imported from north Asia, but our dependency is underlined when inventories of Toyota vehicles and parts are still disrupted due to the Tsunami.

Submarines and large passenger aircraft are probably things that Australia should not be manufacturing; however farm implements, pumps, solar panels and farm vehicles probably are.

Trade barriers in the national interest are necessary but they need to be selective. The US protects industry and agriculture through a variety of measures, some more transparent than others, including the unequal and unbalanced US/Australia Free Trade Agreement. The EU has in place protective measures, as does Japan and China.

Australia needs to work out what it wants for the future and put in place measures to achieve those outcomes. The tyranny of distance both within the country and from most other countries ought to dictate a greater self-reliance in terms of doing and making things for ourselves.

It also dictates a greater role for government in providing a more secure framework for self-reliance and for the production of goods, which otherwise would not be manufactured here. The forthcoming economic crises might in fact push us toward greater self-reliance, as revenue streams and offshore purchasing options contract.