eKourier April 2020

NEV’S NOTES

NEV'S NOTES

Neville Kennard (1937 - 2012) Founder of Kennards Self Storage, enjoyed and was very passionate about expressing his ideas. These little gems have been appreciated by many in KSS. We will continue to publish his ideas that we have in stock. Enjoy! P eople smugglers know how valuable a trip to Australia can be, with a good chance that their BUSINESS SHOULD EXPLOIT BOAT PEOPLE the people-smugglers and to the bureau- crats who take it from the tax-payers? Why not use the market, eliminate the middle-men and allow those who need labour and skills to deal directly with the refugees and would-be immigrants?

finds, and don’t taxi drivers exploit the passengers’ needs to get somewhere? Exploiting someone in trouble does seem harsh, but the boat people have chosen their journey; mostly they are economic refugees, not necessarily poor, who see a brighter future in Australia than in their country of escape. SO WHY DON’T WE TAKE ADVANTAGE OF So why don’t we take advantage of and exploit the opportunity of people wanting to come to Australia and match them with those who need labour and skills and resourcefulness? Why give the money to AND MATCH THEM WITH THOSE WHO NEED LABOUR AND SKILLS AND RESOURCEFULNESS? AND EXPLOIT THE OPPORTUNITY OF PEOPLE WANTING TO COME TO AUSTRALIA

customers will eventually get permis- sion to stay and even citizenship, not to mention welfare benefits, health care, unemployment handouts and housing. The so-called people smugglers are providing a good service at a market price for those who will take their chances — some discomfort on a rust-bucket boat, some risk from the ocean, some inconvenience while bureaucrats “process” their “applications” for “refugee status”. The rewards at the end motivate the customers to pay their money and take their chances. But if there are people queuing up, risking hardship, paying money, why would this opportunity not be grasped in both hands and exploited? Why give money to people-smugglers and soak the Australian taxpayers, while inept govern- ment processes are followed and welfare benefits handed out? I know the word “exploit” is rather politi- cally incorrect these days, but don’t we seek to exploit our opportuni- ties, our talents, our time and energy? Don’t farmers exploit the market and the seasons? Don’t miners exploit their

The big winners in this arrangement would be the immigrants, their sponsors and exploiters, the Australian economy, the taxpayers. The losers would be the people-smugglers and the bureaucrats. My heart bleeds! Given a market in migration, all sorts of clever arrangements would be worked out. Entrepreneurs would come up with unimagined plans and schemes business arrangements to the benefit of all the voluntary participants. It is highly unlikely that such a “harsh”, exploitive, capitalist method will be adopted; too many vested interests and bleeding hearts, and it would be seen to be “undemocratic” (whatever that means). Oh, well, it is fun to dream of business opportunities, of alternatives to wasteful government, of ways for all to benefit.

July 2nd, 2011

22 Kennards Kourier April 2020