Australians for Better Government Newsletter 12
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This Sunday, Australians for Better Government will expand its movement to South Australia with our first event in Adelaide.
Significantly, the event will be held at the Sporting Car Club of SA, which showcases several Australian made race cars from years gone by.
Adelaide was once a major hub for car manufacturing, with companies like General Motors Holden operating large plants. Not only cars, but Adelaide manufacturing also extended to defence industries, such as shipbuilding, and significant electronics manufacturing, with firms like Mitsubishi Electric producing consumer goods and components.
Manufacturing provided thousands of jobs and contributed significantly to South Australia’s economy, peaking in the 1960s-1980s. The sector employed around 20% of the state’s workforce at its height.
However, manufacturing in Adelaide has declined since the late 20th century, notably with the Holden Elizabeth plant closing in 2017.
Government intervention - or lack thereof - played a role in Adelaide's manufacturing decline, through a complex mix of factors.
Historically, Australian governments supported manufacturing, including Adelaide’s automotive sector, through tariffs and subsidies. For example, Holden benefited from protectionist policies in the mid-20th century, which shielded local carmakers from foreign competition.
However, from the 1980s, federal policies shifted toward free-market reforms, reducing tariffs and subsidies (e.g. the Button Plan, 1984), exposing Adelaide’s industries to global competition.
Government decisions to enter free trade agreements, such as with Japan and China in the 2000s, further reduced trade barriers.
This hit automotive and electronics manufacturing hard, as cheaper imports flooded the market.
Of course, while Government policy was significant, global trends like automation, rising labor costs, and supply chain shifts to Asia did contribute. However, while Adelaide’s manufacturing was not solely reliant on Government support, its withdrawal accelerated the decline.
With this in mind, Australians for Better Government asks the question - were the Australian people ever consulted on the free-trade agreements and the shift in Government policy that led to the decline in our manufacturing sector?
Would the Australian people have supported these free-trade agreements and the removal of tariffs knowing that it would lead to job losses in manufacturing?
This is an example of why ABG supports the requirement of Government to seek a successful binding plebiscite with the Australian people when it wishes to sign up to an International treaty.
The Australian people are entitled to a greater say in decisions like these. Especially when they have such an impact on jobs, our economy and living standards here in Australia.
Our movement will only grow with your support. If you haven’t already, please consider becoming an ABG Member - click here
Many thanks,
Steven Tripp - ABG President
Australians for better Government Revival - defining a new direction for australia
Australians for Better Government is excited to announce that our next event will be at the Sporting Car Club of SA in Adelaide.
We hope you can join us for an important discussion on defining a new direction for Australia, with speeches from:
Dr. Christopher Reynolds - Australian Historian & PHD in Constitutional Law
Michael Arbon - Political Advisor to Senator Ralph Babet
Mark Aldridge - United Voice Australia
Steven Tripp - ABG President
Cr. Henry Davis - Adelaide City Councillor
Mark Neugebauer - ABG South Australian Coordinator
We need a Revival in Australia - this will be an important step toward that.
ABG Revival is less than a week away - so get your tickets now!
Faith, Culture, Politics in Australia with Mark - Australia really needs Better Government - Catching up with Steven Tripp, President ABG
ABG President Steven Tripp was a special guest on Faith, Culture, Politics in Australia with Mark to discuss ABG’s upcoming event in Adelaide and all things Australians for Better Government.
Faith, Culture, Politics in Australia with Mark is hosted by ABG Committee Member and South Australian Coordinator Mark Neugebauer. Mark’s podcast is informative, thought-provoking and features great guests. Please support Mark and check it out!
Australians for Better Government Prospectus
Australians for Better Government has been working hard behind the scenes on this ABG Prospectus and we believe it encapsulates the mission statement and proposals of ABG.
Please click to read the Prospectus. You can download it as a pdf and share it to anyone you know. Please help us spread the word of ABG.
Click to read
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Big corporations, lobby groups and private money have infested our political system.
Our voice can only be amplified by your support.
The more you are involved, the stronger our message becomes!