R O N M A N N E R S MANNERISMS 1985-2020 Mannerisms: 1985-2020 Ron Manners Published to commemorate the 125th Anniversary of the family firm Mannwest Group. Also from Ron Manners: So I Headed West―W.G. Manners. Ballarat to Broken Hill, to Kanowna, to Kalgoorlie. “When miners were heroes” 1863-1924. Kanowna’s Barrowman―James Balzano. The early history of Kalgoorlie Goldrushes― (with George Compton) 1859-1948. Never A Dull Moment. Kalgoorlie’s golden years through to the seventies, including life in the World War I trenches― (with Charles & Nancy Manners) 1895-1995. Heroic Misadventures (Australia: Four Decades – Full Circle); 1970 – 2009 Poems of Passion (A prospector’s poetic soul) The Lonely Libertarian: Turning Ideas into Gold – then Gold into Ideas All available at www.mannwest.com/books Copyright © 2020 Ron Manners All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-0-9942638-1-0 i Table of Contents Foreword ......................................................................................................................... viii Introduction .......................................................................................................................ix Entrepreneurship – Kalgoorlie Style, Circa 1985 ........................................................ 1 From Explorer to Producer ............................................................................................. 2 What Politics Destroys, It First Subsidises ................................................................... 4 Investing or Wasting?........................................................................................................ 7 Government Burden Inflicts Pain on Australian Shareholders ................................ 8 Resources Rise, So It’s Time To Fly! ............................................................................. 9 Looking for Leadership ................................................................................................. 10 Competition and Flat Tax Rate: Good Medicine ..................................................... 12 Over-Regulation is the Enemy of the Entrepreneur ............................................... 14 The Future Fund ............................................................................................................. 15 Mannkal’s Year Ahead ................................................................................................... 16 Refusing to Learn from History — Now the Bushfires! ........................................ 19 Perth: Australia’s Gateway to Asia and Europe? ...................................................... 21 How Big Business Fails at Leadership ........................................................................ 22 Ponzi Schemes Invented by Governments? .............................................................. 24 Freedom to Shop! ........................................................................................................... 25 Double Standards ........................................................................................................... 26 Australia: Four Decades - Full Circle .......................................................................... 28 U.S. ‘Tarnish’ from Crisis Commission Hearings .................................................... 29 The Trouble with Government? .................................................................................. 30 Another Giant Government Stuff-up!........................................................................ 31 Australia - Exporting our Future? ............................................................................... 32 Canberra Needs History as a Compulsory Subject .................................................. 33 The RDT (Rudd Dud Tax) ........................................................................................... 34 Earlier Governments Made Mistakes Too!................................................................ 36 Thomas Jefferson’s Election Week Commentary .................................................... 37 Should we all Become Political?................................................................................... 39 Flaccid Brains Were on Parade .................................................................................... 40 Why Are You Writing? (Reflections on Half Time Birthday) ................................ 42 ii Was Perth up to the Challenge? ................................................................................... 43 The Western Civilisation Debate ................................................................................. 46 Our Tarnished Regulators ............................................................................................. 47 How to be Humbled! ..................................................................................................... 49 Reflections on Tiananmen Square ............................................................................... 50 Canberra is 200 Square Kilometres; Surrounded by Reality! .................................. 51 Fond Memories of Growing up in a Country Town ............................................... 53 Mounting Anger .............................................................................................................. 54 Another Look at China .................................................................................................. 56 Is Julia a Genius? (If So, I’ll have to rewrite this article) ......................................... 61 Three Adventures in Turkey ......................................................................................... 63 The World’s Greatest Treasurer? ................................................................................. 68 History Helps Us Prepare for The Future ................................................................. 70 Comments on the 2012 Threats to Freedom of Speech Conference ................... 72 How to Waste a Whole Morning ................................................................................. 74 Australians Divided by Two Sets of Rules; One for the Ruled and One for the Ruling Classes .................................................................................................................. 75 “Julia - It’s Not Yours to Give!” .................................................................................. 77 Project Western Australia- Official Launch Comments ......................................... 78 Different Countries; Similar Problems ....................................................................... 80 Unfinished Conversations from Last Night: A Note to Attendees at the Mannkal / ECOMS Student Dinner........................................................................... 82 The First Fifteen Years .................................................................................................. 84 Choosing Between Two Economic Styles ................................................................. 86 An Antidote for Bad Service and UK Government Smuggling ............................ 87 Business Success; Choose Between Complying and Surviving. ............................. 89 Government Greed Raises its Head; Again. .............................................................. 90 Structuring Your Charitable Giving - Why Isn’t Philanthropy Encouraged? ..... 91 Minimum Wage Laws! More Harm than Good? ...................................................... 93 Building Houses, the Legitimate Role of Government? ......................................... 95 Milton Friedman (1912 – 2006) – Some Personal Recollections .......................... 96 Does Industry Self-Regulation Work? ...................................................................... 102 iii “Giving Back or Giving Forward?” .......................................................................... 103 Australia’s Endangered Species- Small Business .................................................... 104 Greenpeace Hooligans or Heroes? ............................................................................ 106 Encouraging Our Rising Stars! ................................................................................... 107 No Longer Are We Subservient! ............................................................................... 108 Paying Compound Interest on a Bad Investment? ................................................ 109 With So Many Books on Leadership, Why Are There So Few Leaders? .......... 111 Western Australia Revitalized? ................................................................................... 112 Do Not Expect Water from an Empty Well ........................................................... 114 Travel; an Easy Decision! ............................................................................................ 116 Drink a Toast to Outstanding Public Service! ........................................................ 117 Australian Embassy in Ukraine? (The Things Seen and Unseen) ....................... 119 Politicians Should Fear the Next Generation.......................................................... 121 Role Model Reversal? Under Developed Versus Developed Countries ............ 122 Turning Ideas Into Gold ............................................................................................. 124 Superannuation: For Better or Worse? ..................................................................... 125 Flight MH370 and Political Travel Rorts ................................................................