Buy Australian? Myths and realities

Terry BlackFebruary 1, 1995PM30

Rarely has the one-sided view presented in the popular media that buying Australian is good for Australia been challenged. In addition to newspapers and magazines being pro-buy Australian, consumers are bombarded with taxpayer-funded advertisements on television and in newspapers exhorting them to buy Australian. Without denying unemployment is a problem, this monograph rebuts  the claim that buying Australian will reduce Australia’s unemployment. In addition to unemployment, the popular media continues to predict doom and gloom for Australia due to persistent current account deficits and the build-up of foreign debt. Buying Australian is offered by the federal government as a solution. Given the onesideness of these views, the author was motivated to balance the scales by analysing this claims.

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