[Akuma]

It is interesting that australia drastical changed its foreign policy within weeks with its new government.

Japan was for decades the strongest ally of Australia in the region. That changed drastical in the last 10 years. Australia more and more shifted towards China. The labor government under rudd and gillard were extremly hostile towards Japan and favored China. We did notice increasing hateful politics against Japan. One was that propaganda war against whaling and attacking Japan for it. Another was that Australia favored chinese corporations in contracts. It culimated in racist TV commercials against japanese people.

But Australia has a new government now and their PM changed the foreign relations 180°

Abbott called Japan Australias closest ally in Asia.

http://japandailypress.com/australias-p ... a-1037482/

[ThirdTerm]

Japan and Australia have never had a close relationship as Australia had been semi-independent for most part of its history and important matters had to be settled with Britain and Australia remained a junior partner of both America and Britain during the Cold War. The previous Labor government leaned towards China because of China's voracious appetite for natural resources which are abundant in Australia as well as the former prime minister's fondness of Chinese culture. It was also keen on environmental issues to boost its environmental credentials but the whaling issue is unlikely to be resolved by appealing to the IWC. Australia has always been a main destination for British migrants but new visa rules implemented by the previous government have made it more difficult for skilled British workers to settle in Australia. It's expected that the new conservative government, which claims to be business friendly, would ease visa restrictions on British workers.

New laws in Australia have made things tougher for skilled Brits wanting to work Down Under. The Australian government has clamped down on the popular 457 visa which allows foreign workers to move to the country for up to four years. The visa is especially popular with British managers, professionals, technicians and trades people who want a new life in Australia along with their families. Almost half of those on the visa eventually end up settling in Australia permanently. Recent restrictions however have meant even those already living in Australia on the 457 visa are finding life harder. A tax incentive called the Living Away From Home Allowance has been scrapped, and some states charge visa-holders to put their children through schools, which are free for locals. Migration Council Australia chief executive Carla Wilshire said the findings showed the 457 visa programme is critical in keeping Australia competitive in an era when industry is global and 98% of innovation happens outside of Australia.
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/laws-moving-australia-tougher-235100775.html

[Rainbow Crow]

Taylor Swift knows all.

[Smilin' Dave]

Abbott called Japan Australias closest ally in Asia.

Tony Abbott's views on this, like a lot of things, are outdated and in my opinion at least rather funny.

I pretty well guarantee in a few years time no material change will have occurred in relation to Australia's orientation towards Japan. I think it also pretty likely we'll still be doing a fair bit of trade with China - especially since Abbott supports the mining operations in this country and China is one of our biggest customers for such raw materials.

[colliric]

Tony Abbott's views on this, like a lot of things, are outdated and in my opinion at least rather funny.

Why?

Our car industry is fucked.... And we don't want companies like Toyota(and Lexus, who they own) to remember they're Japanese, stop making cars in Australia, and pack up and go back home. That means we lose Jobs.

Ford fucked up the Falcon, and rudely reminded us all they're actually from Detroit, not Geelong!

So in at least one industry, we need better a better relationship with Japan.

Apparently it's outdated to support Japan, when one of the major players in our Automotive industry is in fact Japanese and they have consistently flagged favouring their country of origin and wacking us with massive jobs losses should the Camry no longer be cost effective.

Another was that Australia favored chinese corporations in contracts. It culimated in racist TV commercials against japanese people.

Toyota in particular was royally pissed off by this and pretty much straight demanded the government's handout to continue development of the Camry, or they'd finish it off and leave us high and dry. The decision would have come from the top, as it did with Ford(who need to sell more American made cars! Hence the Mustang will replace the Falcon effective 2015!).

[foxdemon]

Japan and Australia have never had a close relationship as Australia had been semi-independent for most part of its history and important matters had to be settled with Britain and Australia remained a junior partner of both America and Britain during the Cold War.

Australia and Japan were very keen to cooperate in the 1960's and 1970's while the Pilibra region was dfe eloped. Japan was the orginial customer for that industry. Much of the captial equipment was Japanese built. The Gold Coast was a destination for Japanese investment in hte 1980's. It was only with the stagnation of the Japanese economy that they became less involed in investment in Australia. Culturallly, Japan has a bigger influence than China. Japanese cuisine, pop culture and traditional martial arts are all very popular amongst Australians. There is a growing Chinese cultural influence due to recent immigration. It seems Japan must have a stronger 'soft power' as they have been very influencial without mass immigration.

The previous Labor government leaned towards China because of China's voracious appetite for natural resources which are abundant in Australia as well as the former prime minister's fondness of Chinese culture. It was also keen on environmental issues to boost its environmental credentials but the whaling issue is unlikely to be resolved by appealing to the IWC.

This is true. Australian elites are a dodgy lot. They have no concept of loyalty and no principles what so ever. They value money and nothing else. They are the sort of people who would sell their own grandmother for a quick buck, or sell out their fellow nationals for a dollar or two. They will attmept to maintain an apperance of piety though, hence the demonstartion of enviromental concerns, albeit at a shallow level.

Australia has always been a main destination for British migrants but new visa rules implemented by the previous government have made it more difficult for skilled British workers to settle in Australia. It's expected that the new conservative government, which claims to be business friendly, would ease visa restrictions on British workers.

Wasn't aware of that. Seems odd as Rudd's wife is an ex pat living in the UK. You could kick her out in retaliation maybe?

[Smilin' Dave]

Our car industry is fucked.... And we don't want companies like Toyota(and Lexus, who they own) to remember they're Japanese, stop making cars in Australia, and pack up and go back home. That means we lose Jobs.

Toyota has been scaling back in Australia for quite some time. In fact I'm pretty sure they just announced more lay offs in the last week or so.

...should the Camry no longer be cost effective.

Which just goes to show that this isn't about politics anyway. We could be best of pals with Japan and they'll still close the plants if they don't make economical sense - which as a Liberal I would have thought you supported. While I'm sure Akuma at maximum imperialistic mode probably finds the idea of us grovelling to the Japanese to vainly try to save jobs is terribly edifying, it isn't very good policy.

[Istanbuller]

Japanese are not flooding in Australia at least. That is a good progress for the country.

Having close ties with China = Inviting unlimited immigration from China

[colliric]

Toyota has been scaling back in Australia for quite some time. In fact I'm pretty sure they just announced more lay offs in the last week or so.

Which just goes to show that this isn't about politics anyway. We could be best of pals with Japan and they'll still close the plants if they don't make economical sense - which as a Liberal I would have thought you supported. While I'm sure Akuma at maximum imperialistic mode probably finds the idea of us grovelling to the Japanese to vainly try to save jobs is terribly edifying, it isn't very good policy.

I don't support the potential loss of existing jobs back overseas.... It's a tough issue. Free enterprise, but also a strong sense of patriotism.

I guess that's a belief I share with my favorite politician, the one in my avatar.

[foxdemon]

Japanese are not flooding in Australia at least. That is a good progress for the country.

Having close ties with China = Inviting unlimited immigration from China

You are consistent, I will grant you that.


Well, it could also be said those damn Anglo Saxons push their influence in places like Australia through unlimited immigration. Those damn Turks are another group that have been know to pushed their interests with mass immigration. I wonder what the pre Turkish inhabitants of Annatolia would think about it?

[Smilin' Dave]

I don't support the potential loss of existing jobs back overseas.... It's a tough issue. Free enterprise, but also a strong sense of patriotism.

Bending backwards for a foreign power is an odd sort of patriotism. My memory might be off but didn't Peronism assume a certain degree of isolationism/autarky?

Having close ties with China = Inviting unlimited immigration from China

That piece of logic is rubbish. The same simplistic formulation could be applied to any other country we might pursue foreign policy ties with. "Oh be careful Australia, if you get too close to the United States you'll soon disappear under a deluge of Americans."

[GandalfTheGrey]

Australia has been rightly moving away from Japan, and closer to China because Japan is a dead end. How many years now has their economy been declining?

As for loyalty to Japan's car industry, I'll always remember when the Mitsubishi plant in Adelaide were celebrating not being closed down (but were a few years later), boasting about how important they are for Mitsubishi - and the head of Mitsubishi responding by calling the Australian contribution to Mitsubishi "chicken shit" - anybody else remember that?

[colliric]

Australia has been rightly moving away from Japan, and closer to China because Japan is a dead end. How many years now has their economy been declining?

As for loyalty to Japan's car industry, I'll always remember when the Mitsubishi plant in Adelaide were celebrating not being closed down (but were a few years later), boasting about how important they are for Mitsubishi - and the head of Mitsubishi responding by calling the Australian contribution to Mitsubishi "chicken shit" - anybody else remember that?

Meh, at least they said something, instead of just "I'm sorry guys, but now the Falcon is over. From now on you'll get the American stuff instead."

I've been told by a few people close to Ford, that the American arm just plain hates the Australian firm at the moment(in fact I've been told the hatred is "years old" and that "they really hate each others guts"), perceiving the Aussies as thinking they can do what they want without having to "ask for permission", and that is the real reason why the Falcon, and indeed Ford Australia, has been fully discontinued with the decision made directly from Detroit, rather than because of the reported excuse of "sales slipping". As soon as the Falcon winds up in 2015, we'll be hit with the American-made Mustang instead.

The issue is the same for every car manufacturer, except obviously for Holden who were founded here and likely are "protected" by that from GM. Ultimately if the "home" economy of a Car Manufacturer starts to struggle, it's likely they will "pack up and go back home" to support their own country of origin. Obviously that happened in the USA, and as a result Ford felt it was "the right time" to bring it's operations "closer to home".

Holden could be the only local manufacturer in years to come, as GM are deliberately using Holden to export the new model SS Chevy to the states(as they are re-branded Commordore VFs), the reason why it's still profitable to make, and probably has a secure future. Ford could have done something similar(infact Falcon started off as an imported rebranded right-hand drive Mustang), but instead they've decided to kill the "Independent spirit" of Ford Australia, and start selling American imports again. Sorry guys, but the dream is over... it is a Yankee company after all!

You'd have to wonder if such internal competitive cultures are common amongst car companies, given that one arm of the company in one country might be making a killer car and want to expand the market overseas to another country, only to find their representative company in that other country is already making a similar car they might be pleased with. Ultimately it might come down to "which company is the parent company, and has the final say"..... and for that reason we'll be getting the Mustang in Australia now... frankly it's generally a better car than the Falcon anyway.