16th October 2010

The big picture! The Australia Dollar

The Australia Dollar has reached parity with the American dollar and is causing extreme hardship to all the Australian exporters of Primary products, agricultural, fishing and aquaclture,as well as the Tourist operators, Australian manufacturerscompeting with cheap imports and all manufactured exports as well as our overseas studentsthat have subsidised our education institutions and been a huge boost to our economy, in food accommodation and visitors as well as future trade. Billions of dollars that will now go else where.

The Dollar has gone up over 20% since July reducing the income of these operators by over 20% of their income which may be all or more than their profit margin.

For all Australians competing with overseas imported products these will have reduced in price by over 20% and they can't compete.

The Reserve Bank say they will not interfer with the Australian currancy and in fact see it as an advantage that the currency reduces the price of imported products and therefore reduces inflation.

But irrespective of this the reserve bank pushes up interest rates which attracts vaste speculative funds from overseas where they can borrow at virtually zero rates and invest in Austraia at over 5%. At the same time they push up the exchange rate thereby gaining a double benefit at the cost of the Australian businesses and employees.

There are two solutions as I see it, both the responsibility of the Australian Government. First to stop borrowing money and pumping it into the economy usually for non income earning, non job creating products, thereby increasing the tendancy for inflation. Secondlyto do as other countries ie Brazil, are doing and place a penalty on speculative short term inflows of money, limiting the increase in the exchange rate. The Australian government could tax this money and encourage only long term investments particularly in much needed, income earning, job creating infrastructure such as port, railways, roads, power and water supplies.

Most economist see this as a good thing but they have no concept of the long term damage it is doing to mosly regional economies that have no other options. 

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The small picture

On a personal note I have been working for husband Geoff out at the abalone farm.  At the farm we have been researching new methods of keeping the millions of baby abalone happy when they are transfered from their sheltered habitats in the weaning tanks to the large shallow grow out tanks. 

I have been inserting hundreds of long lengths of steel reinforcing rod into black plastic pipe and the men have been sealing the ends to keep the water out.  Then I have been putting pieces of white poly pipe at four locations along the pipe and holding it there with electrical zip ties.

This is to lift the pipes from the bottom of the tank to enable the babies to find shelter underneath and also to allow the cleaning of the tanks and underneath the shelters. When the abalone grow bigger they don't need shelter but while they are small they feel very exposed and vulnerable to predators without it. 

I will take some photos to show you these little critters as it is very hard to visualise from a discription.

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Abalone Farm

11th October 2010

I started working with my husband at the abalone farm.

My husband and I are investors in Southern Australian Seafoods which farms greenlip abalone for export, in the pristine water at Boston Point near Port Lincoln in South Australia.

For details about farmed abalone, growing, cooking and exporting visit www.saseafoods.com.au or to make enquiries email abalone@saseafoods.com.au, fax 61 8 8684 3651 or speak to Geoff Penfold,B.Com., Managing Director or Ben Smith on 61 8 86843597.

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Lobbyist

18th February 2010

I am now a registered Lobbiest in South Australia in the fields of infrastructure on Eyre Peninsula, mining, aquaculture, fishing, agriculture, education and research.  I have my first client and have just returned from two weeks in China meeting with the Chinese Minister for Transport in Beijing.

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Graduation

7th July 2010

I have passed the exam and became a graduate member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

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21st August 2010

Federal Election on 21st August 2010- Congratulations to Rowan Ramsey in the huge seat of Grey

20th March 2010 I retired from State politics at the State Election on 20th March 2010- Congratulations to Peter Treloar in the electorate of Flinders www.petertreloar.com.au

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