Opinion

Why the 'Buy Australian' campaign will hurt Australians

By Adam Triggs
Updated July 2 2021 - 3:56am, first published August 11 2020 - 2:30am
You could not pick a worse time to implement a "Buy Australian" campaign than during COVID-19. Picture: Shutterstock
You could not pick a worse time to implement a "Buy Australian" campaign than during COVID-19. Picture: Shutterstock

"Buy Australian" has been the catchcry from many in politics, business, trade unions and industry bodies for as long as I can remember, and COVID-19 has upped the ante. But while many groups advocate "Buy Australian," one group is conspicuously absent: economists. The reason for this is counterintuitive: Buy Australian doesn't help Australians, it hurts them, and particularly the most disadvantaged.

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