Australia: The not-so-clever country

Erick says:

05:31am | 01/04/11

Many years ago, when the Australian Democrats were relevant, they had one policy which would have done a great deal to improve our situation.

On the introduction of compulsory superannuation, the Democrats proposed an amendment that would have required super funds to put one half of one percent of all investments into high-tech startups and research.

At minimal risk, we could have gained multiple billions of dollars of capital for Australian sunrise industries. Even if nine out of ten such businesses failed, the successes would have outweighed the losses.

Unfortunately, both major parties rejected the idea outright. It’s still not too late to change, though, if someone with vision was to push it through.

S.L says:

07:11am | 01/04/11

After WW2 is when Australia had it’s chance to excel at industry and it failed badly.
“We can live off the sheeps back” one of PM Menzies famous catch cries has ruined this country industry wise for it’s lack of vision.
Look at countries like Sweden or Japan and the companies that hail from there. We are nothing in comparison.
Today the paranoier over getting your HSC instead of getting a trade should be averted.

acotrel says:

08:26am | 01/04/11

Isn’t Sophie Mirabella the Shadow Minister for Innovation? Let’s ask her for a few ideas about how Australian industry can be improved?

S.L says:

08:54am | 01/04/11

Good point acotrel

Gregg says:

11:21am | 01/04/11

@acotrel,
You just love Sophie eh!
But hey there, don’t get caught with your pants down around the ankles too often and so who should be asking in the current government as to what programs ought to be supported.
Oh, that’s right, they blew billions away and so there’s no money left, real smart Australia that!

acotrel says:

06:19am | 02/04/11

@Gregg I note that conservatives never mention the billions Costello lost playing the money market?  All he said at the time, was ‘OOPS! SAWREE!’ .  If I remember correctly Costello’s gaff cost us $40B ? - So don’t you talk to me about waste by the ALP.

acotrel says:

06:26am | 02/04/11

@Gregg I wouldn’t touch Sophie Mirabella with YOUR appendage!  She’s our local member, and we have the joy of hearing her on the ABC every now and then.  Without fail she scratches around trying to make some dirty underhand comment, and the joke is she sounds like a little kid trying to invent a swear word!  You guys should take more notice of the heads on the opposition benches, there’s some absolute purlers!  If you want a real giggle have a look at the two Bishops, what a lovely pair they are?  Fascist Barbie with her killer stare is just hilarious.  I wonder what she’d do if someone told her to get well and truly ?

Dan says:

03:01pm | 03/04/11

I believe it is more the fact that Australia as a nation glorifies both Sport and the traditional “Tradie” as more desirable roles than the alternative which would be higher education. Those that strive to then attain higher education are pushed into the more desirable roles income-wise of Business and Finance. In Australia, Engineering, IT and Scientific roles are almost looked-down upon and due to a lack of interesting industry opportunities, our best in these Engineering, IT and Scientific roles almost always are pressured to take careers overseas.

james milton says:

09:01am | 01/04/11

His point is they don’t innovate, and everything they do is based on the short term.

It seems you missed the entire gist of the article.

PJ says:

09:47am | 01/04/11

Right James, there is no innovation in the top 50 Australian companies.  Can you believe you actually said it, let alone believe that to be the case?

PTom says:

10:37am | 01/04/11

@PJ,

We may have no companies but we do have innovation like the CSIRO WIFI.

acotrel says:

08:30am | 01/04/11

Investment in good science education is not something which will pay off within a few electoral cycles. Nor will investment in higher level research

I’m a scientist - you’ll never become rich doing that!  Professional interest and satisfaction won’t feed you in your old age..

’

Knemon says:

10:23am | 01/04/11

@ Shane - I agree, it’s a pathetic situation. I don’t blame the businesses, the fault lies squarely with the government, not just the current one but every preceding one as well.

About thirty years ago, I personally knew a robotics whiz here in Australia, he knocked on every government door he could for assistance and was told at each turn that his ideas were a waste of time and money. So what were his options? He had to go overseas, he is now based in Seattle, running his own robotics business, employing more than 400 people, and he is highly regarded by his peers. I’m certain this would be just one of many similar stories.

I fully agree with your last sentence. Barry Jones once showed me his watch that was made totally from Australian exported materials that we got 20 cents for, we re-imported the finished product back into Australia for $200.

BTW - I love the headline Cameron, says it all really.

Scotchy says:

06:54am | 01/04/11

Here here !
Unfortunately Australian business is still reading the well known book “In search of mediocrity” (go look it up). Until we have govt with a long term vision and a grasp of how to nuture bright young minds and reward companies for innovation, then this country is doomed (commercially) to be a raw materials exporter which lets the other countries innovate.
Geez, case in point, I was on http://www.alibaba.com yesterday and I dont recall seeing any aussie exporters there at all!

TChong says:

07:42am | 01/04/11

Speaking of “brains trust”, I prefer the shadow “Minister of Innovation”- who finds innovative ideas like the internet just too complex for her to get a clue about, much like the current seat warmer for Turnbull, 1 Vote Tony.

HappyCynic says:

07:44am | 01/04/11

Don’t forget the blatant sneering at science on the side of the Opposition.  It’s no wonder the best and brightest minds go into non-controversial arenas to work.  One side promotes mediocrity, the other just insults anything resembling intelligent thought.

James1 says:

09:51am | 01/04/11

“Here here !”

Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones.

hot tub political machine says:

11:26am | 01/04/11

It certainly is frightening to me that both Abbott and Gillard pander to anti-intellectualism and legitimise negative attitudes about elites. I’m not one of them, but the more “elites” in this country the better.

acotrel says:

08:36am | 01/04/11

@ Chongy ‘Speaking of “brains trust”, I prefer the shadow “Minister of Innovation”- who finds innovative ideas like the internet just too complex for her to get a clue about, much like the current seat warmer for Turnbull, 1 Vote Tony’

Not everybody can be a ‘tech-head’, what can we expect from a party which is lead by a luddite - INNOVATION?  The only innovation Sophie has ever done is attempt to dream up a new brand of poisonous rhetoric, and she failed dismally!

Ben C says:

12:51pm | 01/04/11

@ Sambobs

I had exactly the same thought, but they sit outside the top 50, so that’s why they got no acknowledgement.

acotrel says:

08:44am | 01/04/11

@Tubesteak There’s an old book around titled’ the social relations of science’.  It suggests that authoritarianism stifles creativity.  And I suggest that’s one of the major problems with the culture which exists in most Australian workplaces.  You can be creative and generate excellent ideas, but even in an environment in which the major players are all scientists and engineers, you won’t be encouraged to publish.  More likely someone else will claim credit for your work! The area of industrial democracy is where Workchoices was so wrong, and it’s needed if we are ever to become a learning creative society.

PTom says:

10:35am | 01/04/11

To have a larger Australian market requires what? University and Research Labs

The only way I know to have more University and Research Labs is
- More people.
- More Finance/Invest Companies this could be done be giving tax breaks and law changes to investment companies that provide overseas funding e.g. a local bank setting up a science invest arm that gets funding from overseas.

acotrel says:

08:50am | 01/04/11

Whatever happened to the Materials Research Laboratories?  Don’t we need that stuff any more?

TimB says:

09:35am | 01/04/11

Hey Eskimo, do you have a link to the list? It’s something I used to keep my eye on from time to time. The Telegraph used to produce one I believe but now no longer does. And I can’t find an ordered listing on ASX- It’s all alphabetical.

Squeeze says:

11:04am | 01/04/11

CSL is a privitisation of a government enterprise.

Bishop power steering valves are in 20% of the world’s cars.

Then there’s Barry Marshal and Robin Warren.  (What, the names Barry and Warren too embarassing?)

There’s plenty of examples but y’now engineering and science is dorky so we and the media only care when we get the guilts or begin to hear our own self congratulatory BS. US, Germany, China, South Korea, Japan etc: powered by what you all call “nerds”. Australia is powered by whoever has the ticker to grab the wealth (like from our resources and farmland). Grabalia. We have never matured as much as other countries had to and taken control of our destiny. Hey, at least we’re tanned, happy and free.

Cultural cringe? A media desperate for integrity? Why give a toss if you’re embarrassed by Steve Irwin, the Singing Budgie, Rolf Harris, Russell Crow and Bazza.  They’re bringing in the $$$$. Reject the moronic group think and take them for what they are.  Germaine Greer, Julian Assange, Rupert Murdoch, John Pilger, etc.

Do the right thing and shake hands with a “nerd” and say: thank you for putting up with my crap.

Al Chunk says:

02:21pm | 01/04/11

Bit harsh “Australia: The dumb country. ” but I would hold that AUstralia is lead by people that are whizzes at bureaucratic processes and procedures but unable to understand science, innovation and production.  Culturally we think Scientists and Engineers are just car mechanics - aren’t they?  Empty words about being a smart country represents our government’s belief that ignoring science and engineering can be glossed over with a sound bite and one meeting with the chief scientist in almost 3 years.  Germany’s Engineers have status equivalent to Doctors, which may be why they are world leaders in exporting high cost manufactured technical products.  We do have great commercial scientists and engineers but the ones that stay here only have construction and mining industries to work in, but take a look at the parent companies of our large technical construction companies, they are mostly German.  Another example that our elite, those with access to the piblic and private tills have no regard for thinking, creating and making, just consuming and counting.

Against the Man says:

11:24am | 01/04/11

Yes, that is what we need, give the ALP more time to rort and destroy the country. Long term focus. From ‘07 till now can we list the outstanding achievements of the great Federal ALP. Please I need to know what this government is doing that is deserving of them collecting a paycheck.

hot tub political machine says:

01:17pm | 01/04/11

my point is, that if you gave governments more time (doesn’t matter which party btw) - perhaps they would be less self-serving with less of a “next election is coming up soon” outlook.

They would be more likely to make the unpopular, but utilitarian decisions early in the term, knowing full well the electorate would forget and/or start to reap the benefits of good decisions before the next election.

In truth I think we would see governments spend about the same amount of time in power as they typically do in Oz - (about a decade, give or take depending on competency of the opposition), but they would spend less of that time on elections. We would have 10 year two term governents as oppossed to the 10 year three term governments.

Against the Man says:

03:58pm | 01/04/11

The length of terms isn’t going to change how some governments run. Linking performance to pay and pensions would be the way to go. So for each term they are elected their pay goes up and if they get in 3 terms in a row they get a nice pension, if not they get a very basic payout. Like the private sector it should be a reward for performance. If Gillard knew she had to be for 3 terms to get a decent pension she and her mates might be doing more. I mean seriously Hot Tub what have they done? I would shut myself up if I could see some mind blowing policy. Sort out health or the asylum seeker issue or find a way to stop giving us one tax after another. Governments need to work to make our lives better because we elected them (maybe not in Gilltard’s case but you know what I mean). I’m very anti ALP because they don’t manage anything well and it is all about unions and their influences. I mean the ALP talks about spending more than the Libs and all the usual blah, blah BS. Look at health, millions spent on nurse practitioners, Super clinics, ‘new’ beds etc but there hasn’t been much difference in the stats and there is no future planning for recruiting more nurses and doctors. So why spend and not get results?  It is all one big PR stunt at our expense! Ask Roxon to release the cost analysis on Super Clinics, the rough data shows millions spent to treat minor issues in only a few thousand people, such waste but what is the motivation to get fair results when you still get payed well for doing a crap job..

TimB says:

10:57am | 01/04/11

As usual, iansand’s sanctimonius & snide attitude causes him to get it wrong, yet again.

Buying the technology from overseas was an option I floated yes. But what you chose to ignore is that I also had no problem with the government investing in said technology itself.

What I do have a problem with is your idiotic support of a plan to artificially distort a market in an attempt force people to purchase inefficient versions of that technology.

Again for you, simplified and summarised because you simply don’t get it otherwise:

Cut the idiotic green subsidies and programs. Then invest all money saved into pure R&D.
If and when the technology is ready (and by ready, I mean affordable and efficient enough), unleash it on the market and let people gravitate naturally to it. Or, *if* other countries beat us to it, buy the tech off them. Whichever comes first.

Now you tell me, just what the hell is wrong with this approach?

iansand says:

11:47am | 01/04/11

Memo to TimmyB - It is rarely, if ever, about you.  I really don’t read your stuff, including this.

TimB says:

12:04pm | 01/04/11

No iansand, you don’t read my stuff because you can’t handle the mental effort that comes with trying to understand or properly debate an opinion that differs from your own. There’s a few others here that suffer from the same problem.

That’s why despite your self-inflated view of your own superiority, you’re really just a giant tosser.

iansand says:

12:32pm | 01/04/11

5 reasons not to read TimmyB’s stuff:

1.  Never enlightening.
2   Never amusing
3   Never original
4   Always self-centred
5   Usually tediously prolix

Shane From Melbourne says:

12:55pm | 01/04/11

Somebody read something that TimB wrote? When? Damn, missed it.

TimB says:

01:50pm | 01/04/11

Always nice to have you prove my point, thanks iansand.

It’s hilarious how the types of people who claim “I never read what xxxx writes” still manage to have an opinion on it nonetheless.

But I suppose that’s one of the hallmarks of being an arrogant tosser.

iansand says:

03:33pm | 01/04/11

Mmmmm.  Looks like descending to TimmyB’s level has not worked.  He is still in tanty mode.  I will revert to plan A.

TimB says:

08:12am | 02/04/11

Plan A…that would be the “I’m incapable of engaging in a proper debate because I know Tim actually has a valid point, so I will go back to pretending to ignore him” plan?

Good idea. It’s less embarrasing for you. You’re still a tosser either way though. Not much you can do about that I’m afraid.

Martin Hopes says:

11:28am | 02/04/11

iansand @ 12:32pm - I t would be difficult to argue against point number 4

persephone says:

01:59pm | 01/04/11

I hope the spelling of this post was meant ironically.

Talon says:

02:29pm | 01/04/11

On the ball are you.  Yes, in the first paragraph only.  Good catch.  I am at work and was in a hurry later in the piece.  A Genuine typo with my attention being split.

persephone says:

05:34pm | 01/04/11

And the third. But who’s counting?

BTW, the stories of being confronted by school leavers who lack basic skills point to the successes of our system.

Once upon a time, no matter how ‘clever’ you were, the majority of students left school at 15.

Which meant that you, are an employer, had a good chance of picking up someone with half a brain in that age group.

Now the majority go on to VCE and a large chunk of them go on to some kind of higher learning.

So the average school leaver you see is someone who either can’t be educated or doesn’t want to be.

And thus they tend not to be the sharpest tools in the shed, because the sharper tools are off getting a trade or a profession.

Talon says:

04:22pm | 04/04/11

Hmmm.  3rd would be later.

Also, Ahhh.  Thanks….?

I often wonder how success can be measured when coupled with such drastic failure.  Getting students to stay in school was a good reform however if the standard of early education is lowered then the percentage of students dropping out increases and their capability decreases.

With the new wave of young baby boomers this may widen the gap between the employed and the unemployable, putting an increased burden upon welfare / dole.

You are also right that some are unable to cope in the mainstream education system and an effective alternative needs to found.  After such low expectation and standards of teaching in early education (this is not the teachers fault, do not get me wrong) only the quick and adaptable succeed.

I do not believe that “survival of the fittest” is the new Australian cry over “fair go mate… here is a hand”

persephone says:

02:35pm | 01/04/11

I think young people do understand that, Joan.

They also understand that too much of anything isn’t always good.

No one is advocating the complete removal of CO2 from the atmosphere, so you don’t have to worry about the plants.

Squeeze says:

02:22pm | 06/04/11

Excellent point Hanrahan.  And our industries have formed good partnerships with the likes of CSIRO through enterprises like Australian Wool Innovation.

But does it take 20 million people to run a mine, a farm and some tourism and education facilities.  At what point does the army of accountants, auditors, public servants, financiers and lawyers and their retailers, real estate agents etc become just a wealth distribution mechanism busily guilding the lilly.  Or worse - paying one group of bureaucrats or lawyers to help people dig holes and another group of bureaucrats lawyers to help other people fill them in.