Food Labelling - Global Action Australia

Australian industry, manufacturing, technology, the rural sector, and growers are being destroyed by an onslaught of foreign, particularly asian, imports. Tens of thousands of Australians are loosing their livelihoods to cheaper foreign imports.

Hundreds of sound Aussie businesses are going broke as Asian suppliers sign up to sell unregulated, often inferior, junk through unscrupulous mega retailers such as Woolworths and Coles.

As our production and knowledge base is stolen and decimated by foreigners and foreign interests the government does nothing!

While China hungrily gobbles up all of the world's best manufacturing technology and resources, Australian and all other Western governments stand by flat footed. Our lead is evaporating and we are living on both borrowed time and credit. Great change is upon us. History will show the next decade as one of the most important in our nation's development. If we do not firmly protect ourselves against the asian onslaught we will have no industry, no expertise and absolutely no future for our children.

China has no love for the west. They have long memories and a long term plan to make China the world's strongest nation - a superpower even more powerful than the United States of America.

In the nineteenth century Britain, The United States of America and many European nations carved up China, toppled the emperor and allowed the country to be flooded with opium so that western traders could divide the massive spoils. The opium wars and Boxer Rebellion resulted.

The Communist Chinese have never forgotten what westerners, and later the Japanese in World War Two, did to them. Communist China has no love for us. Their avowed aim is to make China the key power in the world and they plan to do it not by the gun, but by acquiring all of the knowledge of the west, all of our expertise, all of our manufacturing skills and by controlling all of our resources.

If you think that the United States is a rotten world policeman, perhaps you should consider how we would cope with Communist China in that role!

GLOBAL ACTION (AUSTRALIA) is under no illusions about China, is fully aware of the self interested Chinese agenda and will act accordingly to stoutly protect our interests.

The failed ACCC (Australian Competition and Consumer Commission) will be abolished and replaced by a new regulatory body with teeth and a mission to rescue Australian owned and operated businesses, manufacturing, the rural sector and growers from the clutches of China (and indeed Asia).

Whilst we are strong on trade issues and accept the vital importance of trade, GLOBAL ACTION (AUSTRALIA) puts Australia's interests first in all matters.

At present a very large percentage of the foodstuffs and manufactured goods coming from Asia carry incorrect labeling. Quality control is almost non existent. Often product marked MADE IN CHINA does not originate in China, but has instead come from China's third world neighbours. As a result we have no idea what poisons we are feeding ourselves and our children!

GLOBAL ACTION (AUSTRALIA'S) policy on labeling for all foods sold in Australian and its territories is many pronged.

b. Clear, bold and honest labeling of all contents and their region and country of origin. Such labeling will be clear, bold and traceable.

c. Clear labeling of company ownership status (Australian/foreign etc.) percentage and place of manufacture.

d. Import license approval number for all foreign imported foodstuffs to accompany each different product (to be visible on the product or wrapping).

e. All product must display a bold type, clear, correct and adequate description of the contents and instructions for use in English.

GLOBAL ACTION (AUSTRALIA) will introduce an import license system to require all foreign foodstuffs to be classified and tested to Australian quality standards. Product failing to reach the required standard will be destroyed with costs falling upon the importer.

GLOBAL ACTION (AUSTRALIA) will provide tax incentives for wholly owned Australian companies who manufacture and package in Australia. Qualifying Australian companies will also have access to a new 100% Australian logo that will comply with world's best practice content, quality and health compliance guidelines which will become applicable to all of our quality approved growers, manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers. The only exemption to these new rules will be Australian owned and run cottage industry type small businesses which will themselves need to comply with less detailed standards.

Foreign investment in Australian companies will be encouraged, but even if that investment exceeds 50% foreign ownership final management, expertise and control must remain in Australian hands. New legislation covering foreign investment, returns on invested funds to foreigners and re-investment in Australia will be the subject of detailed future discussions with industry. The aim here is to encourage investment, stop selling the farm and account for all profits and capital including that rightfully flowing back overseas to investors.

Companies with a foreign investment component will have access to a new Australian made logo but will not qualify for 100% Australian logo.

Supermarket chains will be required by law to stock and sell no less than a pre-determined percentage of Australian made and 100% Australian sales lines. This percentage is yet to be determined, but is expected to exceed 80%.

Anti-dumping legislation will be drafted to protect Australian growers and manufacturers from flooding or attack by cheap foreign imports.

Minimum price percentage mark-ups will be set for local producers to put a floor under and thus eliminate savage price cutting and assure a fair and workable minimum profit on sales to growers, manufacturers and wholesalers. This minimum price percentage mark-up will vary within industry sectors, but will be agreed by each and will be transparent to the government regulator who shall have responsibility for the vigorous growth and profitability of these sectors of Australia's economy. The effect of this floor will be to stop large supermarket chains driving prices down endlessly as they do at present. In the event that growers, manufacturers and wholesalers believe they are being unreasonable squeezed they will have immediate recourse to the umpire - the regulator. The predatory practice whereby large chain stores and supermarkets drive down the profit margins of their suppliers until they are virtually sent to the wall will be outlawed.

The predatory practice whereby large chain stores and supermarkets demand extra margins from their suppliers so that they can pretend that they offer their customers special discounts (at the expense of their suppliers) will be outlawed.

The practice whereby large chain stores and supermarkets force suppliers to contribute too or pay for parts of their retail advertising will be outlawed.

A published fair retail price will also be re-introduced, but retailers may sell below that price if they so desire. If complaints about unreasonably high fair retail prices are received from consumers, The Trade Practices Commission will actively review the fair retail price for that product or group of products and if margins are deemed to be too high will have the power to determine a new, more reasonable price.

The health of a nation depends upon the health of its food chain.