Poor old Gerry Harvey! Is headed for the poor farm and welfare payments? He told shareholders that this Christmas the retail sector of Harvey Normans retail chain would be down, compared to last year. I guess this has to do with people shopping online and getting better deals that what they can get at their local Harvey Norman store.

Now Gerry Harvey wants the federal government to put a 10% GST on all items purchased online from overseas.

I am not against hard working, smart investors making millions of dollars, but seriously Gerry, why not share the wealth!

The problem I have always found with millionaires is that when they open their eyes first thing in the morning, their first thought is, "How can I make another dollar today?" I find that very sad.

Gerry, if you really want to win shoppers this Christmas, then lower your prices and become competitive with online retailers. A simple solution that I find amazing you haven't already thought of this.

Oh and by the way Gerry, do you remember an interview in 2008 where you described giving charity to the homeless as "a waste", and went on to say that it was "helping a whole heap of no-hopers to survive for no good reason".

Of course you did go on to qualify that remark by stating you believe in helping "develop people to their potential", because, "when they achieve [their potential] they will put a lot more back into the community"..

What a load of bullshit Mr Harvey, but Merry Christmas anyway....

About a decade ago…..

How did Australia lose the status of flavor of the month with overseas visitors? It was sometime shortly after Paul Hogan stopped throwing shrimp on the Barbie that Australian tourism hit a brick wall.

Clive Dorman wrote in a recent article in the Sydney Morning Herald, “In online forums during the past year, many Australians have expressed dissatisfaction with what they regard as high prices, poor value for money and poor customer service in Australia.” I believe he is referring to the domestic market. He also concedes “Australian tourism has hit rock-bottom. Like an addict looking for a road to recovery, the industry finally conceded last week there is a problem.”

Oh really!

The federal governments Tourism Research Australia agency released a report, “State of the Industry”, which sited, tourism to Australia and within Australia was headed for the pits more than 10 years ago.

Oh really!

What is really tragic is that tourists from around the globe still rate Australia as one place on their’ bucket list’. Tourism Australia managing director, Andrew McEvoy wants to double the spending, from $70 billion to $140 billion dollars. He actually believes doubling the expenditure is the aim; he also believes that building luxury accommodation is the answer. Let state here and now, you, Andrew, are unequivocally wrong. Just because you love luxury accommodation doesn’t mean everyone visiting Australia can afford it, or wants it. (And your accommodation is probably paid for by the government anyway!) What about the Northern Territory and northwest Western Australia, where tourism numbers are steadily growing with outback adventures.

Let’s look at the figures:

· Australians traveling to overseas destinations increased by 80%

· Domestic visitor nights have fallen 13%

Now, to achieve the goal of a new strategic approach, in other words turn these figures around, Australian tourism will need a massive turnaround from virtually zero growth, low investment and low returns, according to a report by Tourism Research Australia (I would like to know where they are going to find investor that will accept a low return for their input. All my millionaire friends certainly wouldn’t.) It seems people at Tourism Australia actually believe that an increase of 50,000 hotel rooms (across Australia), will increase annual growth of about 7.5 per cent in overnight expenditure for the next decade.

(I would like to know where they are going to find investor that will accept a low return for their input. All my millionaire friends certainly wouldn’t.)

Let me tell you now, this will only help in a very small way. What needs to happen, workers in the tourism and hospitality industry need to be properly trained, be more professional in their approach to their positions and give more of their Australian personality to the clients?

Southeast Asia increases their tourism revenue each year, by giving top service, even at the lowest levels. Okay, so your argument is, “but the wages in Southeast Asian countries are so small, if we gave that sort of attention, wages of Australian workers would be prohibitive, so that in Australia, tourism operators would go broke very quickly”. I don’t for one moment believe that argument! If you give exceptional service to your clients, they will reciprocate financially to your efforts. I have found that arguments over remuneration for services only happen when the service is mediocre or really bad. In online forums during the past year, many Australians have expressed dissatisfaction with what they regard as high prices, poor value for money and poor customer service in Australia.

Then Tourism Australia chooses a slogan with the negative word “nothing” in it, “There is nothing like Australia…” They are certainly right about that! The Victorians wasted money building a 5 star resort that has recently fallen into receivership and Andrew McEvoy wants 50,000 more deluxe rooms built?

Christopher Brown, head of the Tourism Task Force also says Australia needs an expanded aviation capacity, but with Qantas being protected on many routes, I cannot see that happening in the near future. Qantas needs to get rid of their fears of competition, and realize competition is healthy and good for the traveling public. It is true that Australia needs unique and authentic experiences for the overseas traveler if operators are to reach a higher target and better revenue.

But I want to end this blog with this comment, which I find shocking, This grand plan to increase tourism and revenue in tourism related industries, does not directly address the concerns of domestic travelers, who contribute about three-quarters of the industry's $93 billion annual revenue.

It is a time for a changing of the guard at Australian Tourism, time to get fresh blood, fresh innovative ideas that will address the problems of Australian tourism, both internationally and domestically. Get rid of the cocktail sucking hangers on, the deadwood, and get some real work done by someone who is interested in what they are doing, instead of what freebies there are on offer.

On my world travels I have found a large amount of people that want to come to Australia, it has long been their dream. Let us look at how we can help them realise their dreams.

The G20 Summit has ended with really no results for Barack Obama. Pundits are saying he has lost his appeal to a severe degree on the international stage, because a free trade agreement could not be worked out with the Republic Of South Korea. I cannot blame the American president for wanting to insure more jobs, through exports, for the US workers.

Farmers and auto workers are the big losers if a agreement cannot be worked out.
The last thing Obama did before he left Korea was to blame China for devaluing their currancy, the Yuan (RMB). But isn't this exactly what the American government is doing, by buying more treasury bonds (printing 3 trillion more dollars). How does this move help the current financial situation?

Answer: It doesn't!

My prediction is, towards the end of 2011, into 2012, the world will go into a depression, with consequences worse than the great depression of the 20's. Inflation will more than quadruple, unemployment with reach 50%, crime will increase 300 fold and people on the streets of America will starve, ranking America, for the first time, a third world country.

Now is the time for world leaders to come to the realisation that if they just continue to sit back and do nothing, the world we know today, will end for many people.

I hope this prediction never comes true, but all I can now do is what world leaders are doing, waiting to see what will happen. These leaders need to do more.

How much more? Whatever it takes!

Banks are the bane of society, necessary but evil! The managers and board members forget what it is like to be a struggling human, one who lives payday to payday. Oh, they will tell you that it is not a good life, doing that, that you need to have money in the bank to back up your dreams and wishes.

But no matter what country in the world you live in, banks are the ruin of many people, families and businesses. Exorbitant charges, low interest paid on your savings and no interest paid on your checking account, yet banks charge like the old proverbial wounded bull, if you require their services.

Yet you have to ask, who is responsible for the world financial crisis we are experiencing? Easy answer, the Government and Banks! It does not matter if you live in Australia or the United States; banks are the bane of society.

The head of the Commonwealth Bank in Australia, Mr. Norris, makes $A16 million each year, yet, he made the decision (I will say it again..."He made the decision") to raise interest rates well above the government recommendation. Stating that he knows the average household will have a hard time finding the extra money for the new payment schedules, he claims the only way his bank can stay viable is to hurt the little battler.

This Norris guy comes from New Zealand, where he grew up in a housing commission flat, but he seems to forget his upbringing, how his parents must have scrambled to make ends meet. Well good on ya Mr. Norris, for making it in the big city, but shame on you for hurting the people that keep you bank afloat. I can only hope you lose enough customers that you may be forced to take a (heaven forbid) pay cut.

The Sydney Morning Herald wrote, “Commonwealth Bank shocked borrowers by lifting their mortgage rate 45 basis points, almost double the level of the Reserve Bank's 25 basis point increase, last week. The three remaining major Banks in Australia. The ANZ Bank, National Australia Bank, and Westpac have not announced their moves.”