Just what a Labor Government would do to bail out a union-strangled business, too I can't believe this. Now this Liberal Government is considering giving taxpayers" money to to a foreign company to bail out a struggling local operation mad enough to give its unions a 35-hour week. And it employs a former union boss to negotiate the deal: INDUSTRY Minister Ian Macfarlane has recruited his Labor predecessor Greg Combet to negotiate a rewrite of work practices at troubled food producer SPC Ardmona, including the future of the 35-hour week, as the government examines an assistance package. Mr Macfarlane will today announce that Mr Combet, who was Julia Gillard's industry minister, as well as Telstra chairwoman Catherine Livingstone and former Manufacturing Australia chief and Reserve board member Dick Warburton, will form a high-level panel to advise on a major restructure of the SPC fruit and vegetable canning operations. Mr Macfarlane has been in talks with its owner, Coca-Cola Amatil. The Australian understands CCA has promised a significant investment in plant and equipment, and a range of new product lines as part of a restructuring package that would involve an investment from the Victorian and federal governments. This government is completely lost in the thickets of industry assistance. Someone give it a compass. A truly free market government would cut the costs of business, free the labor markets and give business more power to determine a proper market rate for labor. It would not subsidise the restrictive work practices and high costs of a union-dominated business. Do that and you just invite more beggars to your door. And indeed: Mr Macfarlane said the process at SPC could provide a lead for Simplot, which makes Edgell and Bird's Eye products as well as the Chiko Roll and is also seeking government assistance. Hey, there's another Labor Government in Canberra.