Then expect in 15-20 years to be a wasteland. Its going to be hard one way or the other.
Maybe when there are no jobs here apart from data entry jobs for websites for our chinese overlords people will think "**** maybe we should have"... hindsight is stunning.. I'm more worried about what will happen when my kids attempt to get work here.. they stand **** all hope. They will just keep going with good old labours 457 visas
Surely you can't see our kids working for Bangladeshi-like wages as a solution?
There are a number of things I think in hindsight should not have been done.
Among the more recent was the Free Trade Agreement signed with the US by Howard and Costello just prior to the 2004 election. Among other things it sold out our primary industries, while allowing the S to continue to protect theirs. Also greatly extended the length of copywrite protection, to the benefit of the US.
Many would have seen the 'Button Car Plan' under Hawke as the beginning of the end, however most on here wouldn't be able to afford to drive their Jap 4x4s without it.
Similarly, in relation to de-regulation of the Au$, much of what we purchase and also much of the wage income of many in the mining industry, to cite just one example, would not have eventuated had the Au$ not been floated.
The 'solution' to the extent that there is one, is to extend the concept of fair value wages. If for no other reason, if the percentage of workers receiving fair wages in secure jobs continues to reduce so will the markets for goods and services, irrespective of the price.