Another side to the Super tax on Mining

The ‘Supertax’ debate is an interesting one and as expected, both parties are heavily invested in their own outcomes. One thing the Mining Companies understand is that the tax will lower the size of their profits in boom times for the resources sector – they’ll still be raking in billions, its just that some of the cream will be removed. And one thing most mining companies anticipate for the near term future, is a return back to the really big BOOM times. That’s why they are fighting this idea so hard because if they thought things were going to turn poorly, they’d be urging the Government to act because they’d want the benefits of paying less tax in the not so good times (which they’re saying little about at the minute). The Government also seems to be fighting this idea with limited perspective –

threats of job losses by the Mining Industry is NOT the doom for the Australian economy they’d like us to believe – in fact it could well be the opposite. As we’ve already seen when the mining industry quickly shed its part time workforce in the thousands at the first hint of a possible global recession, what other industry sectors gained was raft of workers suddenly available to pick up the delays in projects. When the Mining sector dumped its part time workforce all of those construction workers, bricklayers, plumbers, truckdrivers and a whole heap of ‘real’ workforce labour became available elsewhere. People who’d been waiting for months to get a new pergola or garage built, new factory completed or repairs to the manufacturing machinery finally had the workers available to do so, as those skilled labour personnel were forced by the Mining sector workforce shedding, to return to their previous areas of skill.

And this is where the Government seems to be missing the point. Delaying Mining projects will turn out to be a very good thing elsewhere in the Australian economy. The influx of available carpenters and bricklayers will see a more competitive environment for construction and renovations. More truck drivers will speed the delivery of goods and services and so on lowering the pressure on wages in those sectors as more skilled personnel return. Quite simply, any delay by the Mining sector in starting projects will be welcomed by other industries who really could do with a boost in the number of skilled workers. Rather than worry or buy into the Miners Mythology, other industry sectors should be shouting loudly: ‘bring it on!’

Australia, We Are Killing Ourselves

Jan 28, 2019

Every where we look we are being given clear signs of the blatant stupidity and arguably outright criminality of a toxic system of decision making. The Menindee Lakes and Darling River disaster is one example   A couple of years ago I was invited to speak at a Private Equity conference at a lovely resort…

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2019 The International Year of the Cooperative

Dec 30, 2018

Every year I aim to identify what I think a major focus of the upcoming year will be and in that light I’m declaring 2019 the International Year of the Cooperative. I’m prompted by a multitude of signals that my daily research has uncovered, many of which will be familiar to you – Cost of…

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Can the United States Survive the Childish Tantrums of an Incompetent President?

Dec 23, 2018

Here we are with the last posting of the year looking at the potential for wide ranging strategy for a country like the United States. Arguably the United States is undergoing its own version of #Brexit though without the vote of the people. Instead the dictatorial nature of what I see as an incompetent strategic…

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When will the next Federal Election be held in Australia?

Dec 3, 2018

I’m reluctant to make predictions but am getting a few calls so: My tip is on a March 2019 election – the 9th or 16th But that will be an attempt to protect the existing NSW Government hoping that voters will have sufficiently vented. That said though, it also required a Federal Minoroty Government to…

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Asia on the Rise – why Australia’s Neighbours Will Leave us Behind

Oct 30, 2018

The Asian Productivity Organisation has shifted gears from being a centre for member countries to talk about productivity, to one that now wants to upskills its member countries. We’ve just completed the first chunk of helping National Productivity secretariats to ready their staff for a more proactive, future facing approach to their Country’s development  …

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10 years on from the Australia 2020 Futurists Summit

Oct 18, 2018

The question is, ‘how does the thinking inside this document stack up?’ Turns out, pretty good. What we spotted and what problems we said we’d have to watch out for, are just about spot on   When it was discovered that the then Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was going to hold the Australia 2020 Summit,…

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BBC Article on the Future of work and the likely skills needed

Oct 14, 2018

it’s OK not to know your career path when you leave university – sometimes that won’t emerge until much later down the track,” Barber says. “We should remind kids that the pathway they select to start off with is unlikely to be their final pathway,   Was interviewed by #TheodoraSutcliffe who wrote this article for…

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Inverting the City/Country Dynamic

Aug 17, 2018

At a recent session with the Gen Y group working on the ‘Future Melbourne’ project for the City of Melbourne I suggested that the group consider what the result might be if they could ‘invert’ the way the State of Victoria operates. What would you be likely to see if more of the functions of…

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When it comes to decision making ‘Bias’ can be friend or foe

May 19, 2018

McKinsey’s interview with Richard Thaler on ‘debiasing the corporation’ is a really good one. I’ve spent the best part of two decades trying to help organisations unpack their biases through the use of foresight. I recommend this article to you   Nobel Laureate Richard Thaler offers some great insights as to how to make more…

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Disaster Ahead for the People of Ipswich

Apr 22, 2018

As the Ipswich Council has determined that recycling schemes are too expensive and indicates it will end collections, the question is ‘what happens next’? If result of the explosion in Tip fees by Councils around Australia is anything to go by, what happens next will not be good   China recently decided to end acting…

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