The reason we are not able to be competitive is Electricity Power Prices! Even throughout the 60's 70's and 80's when unions were at their staunchest we still were able to draw businesses to our shores and people and business turned profits and that’s because of cheap power, we have so much coal it’s not funny and we pay more for power than most other countries. The second nail in the coffin for Australian business and manufacturing is the Carbon tax.... Australia is casualty of Wealth re distribution anyone who blames the unions is an idiot, it’s like Hitler blaming the Jews. After the wounding caused by unrealistic power prices and the Carbon tax THEN the wages may have affected things but it is not root of the problem.