support gerry harvey, page-30

This was brought up on the radio the other day about what 'the man' said several years ago.

October 21, 2007
BILLIONAIRE retailer Gerry Harvey says Australia needs a two-tier wage system to allow employers to pay foreign guest workers less than locals.

The Harvey Norman boss said Australia's prosperity was creating a labour shortage and endangering the nation's competitiveness.

He said a growing number of Australian manufacturers were moving overseas, where cheap labour was plentiful.

He called on the Federal Government to allow foreign workers on fixed visas to form a second tier to the labour market.

"Australia doesn't have cheap labour. Many overseas workers would be prepared to move here for a much better life and half the money Australians earn," he said.

"When you get unemployment down to four per cent, to three per cent, to two per cent, business can't get the labour.

"I've got horse studs and it's difficult to get staff.
"Workers would rather work in the mines where they get paid twice as much.

"Fruit- picking companies are relying on backpackers."
Mr Harvey said both major parties needed to open the gates to migrants.

"The US can draw on a lot of cheap labour from Mexico and South America," he said.

"People from those countries move to the US looking for a better life.

"European countries can draw on cheap labour from eastern Europe.

"The danger of being too prosperous is that it can come back to bite you - you can become too lazy and other nations work harder and overtake you."

"What I'm saying is not politically correct.

"You won't get politicians saying what I'm saying, but privately they know this sort of thing is a reality in the future."

http://www.news.com.au/business/billionaire-plea-for-cheap-labour/story-e6frfm1i-1111114687834

In other words, 'the man' wants his cake and eat it too. Why doesn't he just shut up all stores here and set up in China and India where the 2 dollar a day workers can pay for his such good value goods. Umm, that won't work because Asians are 'smart' - they can smell 'rip off' a mile away and will continue to buy from where the best value is. So he'll have to set up stores in Australia again where those 'up to their eyeballs in debt, thick shake drinking fat slobs' can still afford to buy the latest 60 inch TV screens on "40 months interest free - no deposit - no interest until April 2014"!

This is Australia - it has done everything it can to keep its boom going by keeping its interest rates too low for too long and wages are wanting to run hard! Without immigrants and without cheap foreign goods our wages would have exploded long ago. But, the one way to fix high prices in anything is high prices, so we would have had the self correcting economy that would have quenched our stupid bubbles without the need for higher interest rates. If anyone think it's okay to have a global market with the massive wages disparities between trading countries and 'never have serious consequences' as a result please put your hand up.