public servants, page-8

HotNickel's comments on public servants are laughable given the approach of the private sector to industry development in this country - find it, dig it up, ship it out as fast as possible for the minimum profit.

Ok, let's do away with the public service. Just put in some fixed environmental standards - you damage it you pay the full cost including externalities. You can't pay, you are liquidated and your shareholders are liable too.

Any lead dust from a smelter? Lifelong payments for health and lost productivity.

CO2 out of a chimmney? Pro rata costs for raising seawalls, researching higher temperature farming regimes taken off your company profit straight away.

How many Australian companies would you trust with your health as a next door neighbour without a public sector stick standing over them? Nigerian delta, Russian Siberia, sorghum farming on the spoil heaps of coal mines at Moura?

Australian research is done by the public sector to a much larger extent than in any other OECD country. Why?
Australian industry does not believe in doing its own research and development. 'Give it to me as a functioning profitable industry'.
In fifty years the WA iron ore will be in China. What industry will Australian private sector developed from it? Nothing!
How much of Australia's primary mining, agricultural output is value added before export? Sod all.
Why?
Private industry in this country is risk averse deadheads who will not put in for the education, planning, research, development that that requires. Except to train better truck drivers. Iron ore to pig iron? Too hard. Iron ore to rolled steel? Not much. Iron ore to mobile phones? Forget it.