I don't know what line of work you are in or what company you work for, but you're certainly not experienced in big business with a naive comment like this.
Of course companies, especially bigger ones, will cut costs as much as they can and I would say with the majority of them, the budgets are tighter each year 9especially with the current economic climate)
Companies here now see investing their capital in new infrastructures in cheaper areas...whether that be in Asia, Africa, or even the USA...they will not waste a lot of money in 'old' areas like Australia, where they won't get the return.
Its a band-aid job here. Patch it up so we can keep going but let's invest our money where we will make profit, where we can grow in new markets.
You may not like it or agree with it, but thats the reality.
Now with a carbon tax here, companies are expected to invest money in new technologies or new processes, which usually require new buildings, machines, and infrastructures....just to make the same product they make now! Where is the return there? This money could be spent better elsewhere in a new plant in China or the USA and help set the company up for the next 50 years.
You talk about growth...but to grow you need profit...you need capital...you need investors...you need money.
You need to diversify, invest in new markets, invest in new infrastructure....so you get a return, get a profit, and grow again.
You ask why does profit have to grow each year....its no different to why we expect a payrise each year (or want a payrise each year)...we all want to do better and improve.
There is nothing wrong with that!
