Will the baby be thrown out with the bath water?

Is there a real appreciation of how vital a “Make Things’ manufacturing industry is to Australia’s future prosperity?

The current thinking that we should leave the car industry devoid of support is only part of the issue.

As Futuris MD Mark De Wit quite correctly reported to the Productivity Commission “When the tide of the mining boom goes out, we could be in trouble as an economy as a whole without car manufacturing.”  How do we get the wider populace to appreciate that a  manufacturing industry is going to be more vital to Australia’s future than it is now?

Whether the bath water or the ebb tide has gone it is essential that a revitalised car industry and a vibrant and innovative manufacturing industry are still left.

How do we get this message through?