"indeed the UnionsALP made it impossible for ford/holden toyota to operate in this country...."
How would you propose that a country such as ours with high living costs compete with a developing country like Thailand where workers receive $50.00 to $60 dollars a week.
Free trade Agreements and an evolving era of manufacturing globalisation is what made car manufacturing uneconomic in Australia.
Our dole payment is higher than the minimum weekly wage of a Thai worker. Maybe if a company was able to build an accomodation compound and employ foreign workers at subsistence level we would still have trouble competing.