Dick Smith delivers huge wake-up call over fears Australia is becoming too reliant on overseas countries

By NICHOLAS COMINO, POLITICAL REPORTER, AUSTRALIA Published: 01:05, 23 August 2026 | Updated: 01:08, 23 August 2026 Dick Smith has encouraged Australians to launch their own businesses as he urges the country to become more self-reliant. The multi-millionaire put out the call as a General Intelligence Centre survey showed overwhelming public support for strengthening Australian-based manufacturing. Some 98 per cent of respondents believe Australia should be self-reliant in farming, with the same proportion supporting energy self-sufficiency. Another 91 per cent favoured greater manufacturing self-sufficiency, while 92 per cent said Australia should be able to produce its own medicines and medical supplies. Mr Smith said rebuilding Australia's manufacturing sector should be a national priority and urged younger generations to embrace entrepreneurship. 'It would be great if we could get back into manufacturing again. I'm a total supporter,' he said. 'I think that will happen when wages in China increase as standards of living rise and that will make us competitive again. 'I'd like to enthuse young people into starting their own business. It's what I did when I was 22 and it's what young people should be doing.' Dick Smith has encouraged Australians to launch their own businesses as he urges the country to become more self-reliant The survey also found that about nine in 10 Australians believe the country should manufacture more of what it consumes, even if it means paying higher prices. Roughly 80 per cent said they were concerned about the level of imports, while three-quarters expressed support for restrictions or quotas on imported goods. Mr Smith said Australians could help strengthen local industries by choosing home-grown products on supermarket shelves. 'We should have the best food and the lowest prices in the world because we've got such large areas and a small population,' he said. A farmer himself, Mr Smith said backing Australian agriculture is vital. 'I've got a farm myself where we raise lambs. I totally support our Aussie farmers and ask Australians to support Australian products.' The poll points to growing public momentum for policies that would reduce Australia's dependence on overseas supply chains and bolster domestic industries. Last year, Mr Smith joined mining billionaire Andrew Forrest and Harvey Norman chief executive Katie Page to launch the Back Australia campaign. A farmer himself, Mr Smith said backing Australian agriculture is vital (stock image) It called for a 'new industrial revolution' driven by Australian-owned businesses and local manufacturing. Mr Smith said governments had spent decades failing to properly champion local products out of concern for how multinational companies might respond. He urged Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to take a stronger stance in support of Australian-made and Australian-owned businesses. 'I will ask Mr Albanese to be strong, to stand up to those foreign lobbyists and say "No, we're going to support Australian Made and Australian Owned and we're going to run a campaign like we did successfully a number of decades ago to get Australians to support the home team",' he said. Mr Smith said a renewed national campaign promoting Australian products could help strengthen local industries, create jobs and encourage consumers to buy from Australian businesses.