In 1988 I hosted a major international conference “The Third Symposium on Technical Innovation and Entrepreneurship”. This was part of an international series held in the United States and the United Kingdom with the support of the Utah Innovation Foundation, IC2 Institute from Austin, Texas, and UniQuest.
A key guest speaker at the 1988 Symposium was Mr Wan Run Nan from the Peoples’ Republic of China. Mr Wan was one of the first Chinese IT entrepreneurs. He developed technology, employed lots of people, and made money.
He could not return to China without the risk of imprisonment! His crime: he was an entrepreneur. Run Nan now lives in the United States.
The Australian labour government of the time, and notably John Button and Barry Jones, were highly supportive of employing people in Australia. They recognised, as John Button made very clear when he opened the facilities of then ASX listed Laser Dynamics Ltd on the Gold Coast, that it is entrepreneurs who build businesses, employ people and make profits. They understood the role of venture capital.
Contrast that with what is now emanating from the highest levels of the Australian labour Government in Canberra. There, it seems, we as entrepreneurs are enemy number one. Henry Ergas’ comments in the Australian (6th August) “ .…instead of celebrating entrepreneurs, Swan despises them…Swan wallows in the nostalgia of Bruce Springsteen’s rustbelt past”. He goes on to say: “It is difficult to imagine a worse way of preparing for the daunting challenges Australia faces as the era of sky high commodity prices draws to a close. And it is difficult to imagine a starker contrast to John Button…” (For my international readers, Mr Swan is the Deputy Prime Minister and Treasurer of Australia).
Like Wan Run Nan in the PRC, the present Australian government doesn’t like entrepreneurs and publicly embarrasses some of them internationally. No wonder that many Australians are going or intending to go to more friendly destinations, Singapore for example.
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