There’s been a lot of outsourcing in recent history, first to Australian firms, then to overseas ones. First with low value tasks, then with higher value ones. Masses of commoditised tasks are outsourced. Australian businesses have outsourced to telephone canvassers, marketers and customer support teams. India and Philippines have been dominant in this respect.

When I first saw Infosys, an Indian IT firm, roll up to Suncorp in 2001, I thought it was a bit odd that Australian companies would deliberately deal with pl an Indian one. I guess I didn’t fully grasp the perspective that senior management had; that they needed to make a good return in any fashion that is within commercial law.

I really do understand about twenty years later what has driven much of our outsourcing, but I think it’s time we reconsider. Some very short sighted decisions have been made by people who wanted bonuses for achieving profits.

AUSTRALIANS ARE LOSING JOBS.

Aussies are losing jobs and our government is borrowing money from a the central bank that it may not be able to repay in order to support them, along with the people the government has decreed may not work under COVID-19 restrictions.

WE ARE PAYING TO SUPPORT PEOPLE ONE WAY OR ANOTHER

We are funding them communally one way or another – paying them either for work or via government handouts. The question to ask is what the outcome are:

• government payments lead to more national debt
• having people working builds our community and potentially our Gross National Profit

WE SHOULD STOP OUTSOURCING OVERSEAS

Isn’t it about time we as Australians started to employee our own? Our friends, neighbors and others in our community indirectly benefit when we buy Australian and employ Australians.

Every time we make the decision to employ an Australian instead of outsourcing to someone overseas, we build our country.

WE NEED TO BUY GENUINELY AUSTRALIAN

Each time we look carefully to see how much Australian content is genuinely in a supposedly Australian product, it helps.

Don’t be fooled that money stays in Australia and helps Aussies when you buy an Australian product from a multi-national. The money often goes off-shore. We need to buy Australian owned, not just Australian made, and we need to see if the components, fabrics or other materials are Australian.

Don’t take offers from multinational sellers without considering these impact. There are wine deals, fast food deals, pet product deals, health product deals and more that constantly come your way. Some just say “yes”. Take a moment to see who owns the company making your the offer. Confirm the profits will stay in Australia, and if they don’t, BUY ELSEWHERE!

The effect of making just one choice for Australia is like dropping a stone into a pond. Or better still it’s like seeing one of those massive Domino cascades where the effect compounds and the noise becomes a tumult.

Let’s create a mass tumult to build back Australia; not by creating yet another government bubble, but organically, by every one of us making conscious decisions to make life better in our community. Together, we can make a difference.

Lastly, if you are a business owner, I want to challenge you to drop your foreign outsourcing arrangements and see how you can build back Australia. It might not be easy straight up, but the people your money goes to may yet become your customers.