They've cocked it up, again!

[old man emu]

The Government has announced a major trade agreement with India that will remove tariff barriers to Australian raw materials and agricultural produce entering India. While this sounds like a ripper of a deal, just take a moment to consider what the deal means for our great-grandchildren who will inherit Australia around 2050.

 

The big talk around Central NSW is about the sale of wool. Since China took its bat and ball and went home, wool has been stockpiling in our warehouses. The Government has been putting money into the search for immediate buyers to clear the stockpiles. That's not a bad thing in the short term and is what our wool producers need today. But what does that mean for the development of Australia, a country which knows it must have a good deal of control over its supply chain. 

 

The greater access to wool will be a boon to the Indians who will turn it into fabric as soon as they can expand their manufacturing capability. India also believes improved access by Indian exporters will create one million jobs over the next four to five years in labour-intensive sectors. Along with clothing and textiles, the Federation of Indian Export Organisations also expects footwear, leather, gems and engineering goods to Australia get a fillip from the deal.

 

You beauty! Millions of new jobs for poorly paid members of the Sudra castes. No jobs for Australians. The deal builds on the Morrison Government’s $280 million investment to further grow our economic relationship and support jobs and businesses in both countries, that includes:

$35.7 million to support cooperation on research, production and commercialisation of clean technologies, critical minerals and energy;

$25.2 million to deepen space cooperation with India and

$28.1 million to launch a Centre for Australia-India Relations.

 

Those three items add up to $89 million. Do you reckon we could build a textile industry with that? How many Aussies would find employment in the various areas of that industry?

 

Australia will also provide new access for young Indians to participate in working holidays in Australia. Places in Australia's Work and Holiday program will be set at 1,000 per year and Australia will have two years to implement the outcome. This is expected to contribute to both workforce requirements and to boost tourism to support our post-COVID recovery. Yeah. More trolley boys at shopping centres and more Uber delivery drivers.

 

In a boost to our STEM and IT workforces, the length of stay for an Indian Student with a bachelor’s degree with first class honours will be extended from two to three years post study in Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM) and information and communications technology (ICT) sectors. Aussie kids can't get into universities because the foreigners fill up the limited spaces. Besides, a new graduate in IT or the STEM professions is useless until they get their hands dirty with experience.

 

ScoMo has made a big to-do about this trade agreement, implying that it was his government's work that brought it about. Well, discussions started in 2011, and guess who was Prime Minister then? Julie the Ranga.

 

“Our message to Australian business and education leaders is get on the plane as soon as you can. This will be an urgent action point for boardrooms across Australia,” is the message form the Indian government. Did anyone see any mention of the benefits that will make Australia better?

[Old Koreelah]

OME it seems that your are one of those pesky voters who looks past the 10-second news grabs and actually investigates the buggers!

[facthunter]

Remember the China free trade agreement Andrew Robb "Arranged"?  THAT didn't work for long. Nev

[Bruce Tuncks]

India is possibly the worst-off country in the world for climate-change. It is way too close to the equator.

Already it is difficult to work out of doors in many places. It is also badly-off for over-exploitation of groundwater.

The Mumbai aquifer fed 300 million and now it is depleted for thousands of years.

I wonder where all their refugees will want to go to....  Australia would be high on their list for sure.

[Old Koreelah]

1 hour ago, facthunter said:

Remember the China free trade agreement Andrew Robb "Arranged"?

He did very well out of it…

[Yenn]

All the free trade agreements seem to be looking out for the other country. Our governments make a big noise about how well they are looking out for our interests, but they are all baloney. Every trade agreement does very little for our agricultural sector and a lot for the big miners. What we really need is something like South Africa had with the apartheid regulations. S. A. was forced to pick up its game and produce what it needed and that is what we should be doing.