Letters, feedback, get it off your chest: 17 January 08
The festival season has come and gone, but that hasn't stopped readers from venting their spleen. Here's what they had to say about recent news.
Dear Editor,
Re: Government urged to give go ahead on closing Goprint
So Printing Industries think the Government should get out of print? Perhaps the Printing Industries should get out of print.
They bleat about a skill shortage and have continuously lobbied against the very places who have, historically, been the largest trainer of apprentices - State Government printers. They say "diddly squat" about the megalithic cut price cowboys who 'buy' print jobs to keep their machines ticking over and in doing so decimate the ability for small to medium size operators to add value and make a decent living in a very important industry. Printing Industries' response to jobs and work going overseas appears to be to show large corporations how to make dealing with two of the world's largest polluters, China and India, easier. We all remember that they supported Workchoices and wasn't that a winner with the Australian public!
Unfortunately, it seems that Printing Industries may have too narrow a perspective when representing our industry. This is a pity as they have demonstrated they can be effective when they set their mind to it. Our industry needs and deserves its peak players and associations to employ a greater deal of objectivity and cohesiveness in dealing with Government. At present, their actions appear devisive and about picking favourites. What sort of an industry association actively lobbies against a sector within its own industry?
From the In-house print operators perspective we had disproportionately small input in the original Print 21 initiative. Bit of an oversight when you consider the expertise present, commitment necessary and financial contribution to the private commercial sector we actually make.
Regards
Martin Booth
Vice President - NIPPA
Dear Editor,
Re: Competition cop pulls the reins on News Limited's Wentworth Courier
Why didn't the ACCC revoke this when the Hannan Group/J B Fairfax held the monopoly but have only decided to revoke it now that Murdoch is the owner. If it is unfair now wasn't it unfair before? Can some one explain this to me?
David Brendish
Publisher
Dear Editor,
Re: Defying Conventional Wisdom
I have just read your article both on Scott Telfer and Alistair Hill.
As you know I'm a big believer in breaking all the rules - which are only there to be broken - and stretching beyond ones comfort zone.
I say to hell with "plodding along" and to takings things with the attitude "oh well that's the way it its now" and if you believe in yourself, the press equipment and the industry, make a mark and go play.
Well done to both these men.
Regards
Paul Jackson