Opinion

Ignore the populist bait of a misguided manufacturing dream

Readers’ letters on the pros and cons of a Made in Australia policy, the need for action after the grief of the Bondi tragedy, and Australia’s super-sized appetite for super-sized vehicles.

Apr 16, 2024 – 2.46pm

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Key Points

Guidelines for how to write a letter to the editor are here.
Please send your letter to edletters@afr.com.au

I share Ed Shann’s concerns about the direction in which our economy is being turned (“Forget Made in Australia, do what we already do well”). It seems we have taken the lead from China – ideology trumps economics.

The lesson I take from COVID-19 is that Australian businesses quickly adapted to meet the requirements for PPE. The need met, those businesses have returned to their knitting. The thought of funding them to return to producing personal protective equipment in perpetuity because of a possible need is worrying.