Australians...We are Sooooo NOT part of Asia, page-8

Rshep,
I don't want to go on about it, but my father supplies over 80 different products to Government schools Australia wide and recently expanded in N.Z.

One of the products he had manufactured here, as of last week is now being manufactured in Vietnam.
The reason for this move was cost.
This has put 6 people directly out of a job here, and a further 7 indirectly.

Some of my fathers competitors had started the ball rolling with a cheap import of this product, my dad thought he was pretty secure with the thought of his product being Australian made and the Aussie government was the customer. ( buy Australian).

He learned he was to lose the supply of this product to the cheap imports.
He had no choice but to seek the product from O/S.
The price difference on this product?
9.5%
If the Australian Government can switch to an O/S product for a 9.5% price difference over the employment of 13 Austarlians, then I don't hold much hope for the average Australian consumer to buy Australian either.
Small manufacturing in Australia contributes greatly to employment.
This is one area the Government should concentrate on helping.

I know what you are saying about the furniture business, you only have to go to any furniture store to realise most goods are now comming from O/S.
Even Bunnings and Megamart are carrying furniture that can easily be made here, I don't understand why they ca't realise if people are unemployed ther will be no-one with the money to buy these products. ( imported or not)

Sorry about going on.
Cheers