tmurray said...

Please note, Gina has a half sister (sired by Lang and one of his aboriginal workers), she owns a $400,000 house in Geraldton or something. You need to be the WHITE daughter of a billionaire to really succeed in life.

I would prefere to spend a day with the lady from Geraldton, than a second, with the one here in Perth.
The lady in Geraldton has more class in her little finger, and is all about "family"

"Speaking on the Nine Network, Mrs Kickett said the late mining magnate had had an illicit affair with an Aboriginal cook on his property at Mulga Downs and had told her ''many times'' that he was her father.

''I went down a different path but I like the way I have turned out,'' she said."

"But Mrs Kickett, who lives in Geraldton, north of Perth, said her life had been ''far more rewarding than material stuff'' and she would not launch a claim for a part of the family's estate. ''Why should I?'' she said."

evlPanda said...

pweedas said...

???
I heard what she said and I thought it was mostly stating the obvious which is ,.. the Australian mining industry has to remain competitive if it wants to continue growing.

When all this fracas started I thought I must have missed something so I payed more attention to it when it was replayed on various news reports a number of times.

All she actually said was, what we are up against regarding our competition in the mining industry is, amongst other things, some of them are paying their workforce $2 per day. (in Africa).

We are not in Africa and in no way was she suggesting $2.00 a day wages for our workforce.

I wasn't surprised when the media and some people here immediately interpreted this the way they have, that is that Gina wants to pay $2 a day for workers here.

I was very disappointed but not entirely surprised to see our esteemed leader Julia pick up the very same interpretation and start a public sledging on prime time TV.
You would really expect a prime minister of our country to have better abilities in comprehension of a statement than has been displayed here.

This is the only internet forum I've seen that has even contemplated the above statement, which is true.

It's not that she wants Australian worker to get paid 2 bucks a day ,it's the fact that she could possibly contemplate that it is a reasonable thing to think. Rinehardt knows it will give fuel to the right wingers amongst us that wages are too high. The mining tax will ruin mining and the carbon tax will end civilization as we know it.

Isn't it funny that when the treasurer comes out and says the citizens should get more of the results of the mining boom every Tory , shock jock, and right wing paper cries......"CLASS WARFARE!!!" but when one of the billionaire miners blows the dog whistle of exorbitant wages then thats NOT class warfare.

It only goes one way this "class" thing does it??

At least you put figures in the discussion simstat !

simstat said...
Just went through some figures and I reckon I have had a steady salary increase to a total of 70% over the last 15years. About 4.66% PA. So given average CPI rises...

You're using CPI, but might want to compare with avg wages over the same period.
Pretty sure wages have not followed CPI increases over the last 15 years, far from it.
CPI coverage is not globally owed by employers to the workforce, but if one can get it for a particular situation (unions, booms, emerging markets), then good on them. I consider myself part of this lucky bunch, but do not take it as granted nor owed to me, as I know you don't.

simstat said...
Ok, so why are they paying the money they do?
It's all about expansion and supply and demand. The big companies are all expanding and need more and more quality workers to perform the tasks. They need to be productive, efficient and safety conscious. Quality personnel, believe it or not are hard to find.
To attract them, the companies keep the salaries high and therefore retain the higher skilled personnel (in most cases).

This is true... only if they can fire any poorly-performing worker right there and then. If not, then it's more like unions and the laws that keep many people overpaid, not the market forces - IMO.

Is the case for one of my Telco customers: true they need pay big bucks to attract people THAT MAY OR MAY NOT be competent. Then in many cases they're stuck with riff-raff they can't get rid of, through various human rights and fair work laws.

simstat said...
As for the Y2K analogy, I think it is not a good comparison. These guys took advantage of a spike in technology. The smart ones are still kicking, the others are not, It's survival of the fittest, and maybe the biggest. you gotta do what you have to do to attract good personnel.

Gina can rant and rave all she wants about costs, but that is the way it is.

Actually, the more I think about the analogy... Many mining markets are on a spike, this is the nature of the thing. I remind you of Ravensthorpe, not that people lost that much wages there. The whole thing depends on global economy, what's happening in China, rising wages, etc.

No, it's not the smart ones amongst the locals that remained in IT, dunno where you got that from. No darwinism there. Fact is, individuals of average skills were paid too high, took advantage of a scam employers fell for. Good on them, but the next generation is rather screwed, as both out- and in-sourcing as well on the way.

In fact, this discussion is about the next generation. There is no doubt that you're making good money. Nor that the wind has been good lately...

Macroscien said...

I
could have that job
For a $500,000 pa I will take a challenge to make Gina the most popular and beloved person in Australia.
Seriously
or money back ....

I would start with high tech sci-fi space program for all the money available...
In few years time we could develop the most advanced flying sources, sub orbital communication hubs and electromagnetic rail guns opening the gate of the cosmos for all humanity. As a private space enterprise, efficient and accounted for any penny spent, Gina could create a program by which NASA pale in comparison.

Don't have to be drag on economy also, but produce profit bigger then all mines together.
Every Australian could be admired and proud as Americans were walking on the moon.
...and it is real... just need to move focus and vision

This rail gun you speak of, would it be capable of launching Gina into orbit?