Letters, feedback, get it off your chest: 24 July 2008

Readers have their say over last week's news.

Re: Labor party backtracks on print protection

I work for McPherson's Printing Group in the Maryborough Plant.

The printing industry is the largest employer in this city which already suffers from very high unemployment, as has done for many years now. This area is also hard hit by drought.

This town cannot afford to lose an industry like this, it would be like outing the final nail in the cities coffin. We need protection for our business.

 There is no such thing as a level playing field, how can we compete with overseas business paying their employees a fraction of what it costs our employers to pay their workers.

Surely it is the responsibility of any government to ensure a continuity of employment for its own nation's employees in precedence to that of any other nation. To allow the protection of this industry to be eroded away in my view would be completely irresponsible.

If we as a nation keep on allowing our manufacturing businesses to be sold off and closed down, we will end up with no skilled tradespeople at all left here and will be completely reliant on other nations for the supply of all our goods.

Isn't it about time we started putting our own nations welfare first?

Laurie Smith
Client Services.
McPherson's Printing Group

 

Re: Australia's most internationally awarded printer, Drago Zorec, closes up shop

Sorry I beg to differ from Drago's sentiment about our printing industry.
 
Sure it's tough, sure margins are down, but what have we all done as director's to help our businesses situation. We've worked harder and more diligently than ever before, we've built stronger relationships with our clients, suppliers and competitors, unlike the directors of the train wreck that is D&D Global.
 
Who in their right mind would be out chasing glory overseas whilst "rome is burning at home" just for the sake of some feather preening.
 
So I for one have no sympathy for these directors. They took their eyes off the main game and as a result lost. Too bad, but not as bad as some of the many people who lost money with the winding up of this basketcase!
 
So in stark contrast to Jeremy Owens, the only thing the Zorec's should be remembered for is as a lesson to us all as directors to "keep our eyes on the ball".

Barry Webster.

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Re: World Skills win a golden opportunity for Melissa Guiney

Great Melissa, I knew you had the skills to go a long way. Great work!

Michael Christodoulou