Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I take it those opposite are still opposed to this plan. South Australian members? Member for Sturt? Is he opposed to this plan? He remains silent. Can I say to all South Australia members that I would suggest they consider long and hard whether they support this vital piece of industry policy and industry plan because it goes directly to jobs in South Australia and jobs for the auto sector more broadly across the country.

As well, in December last year, I was pleased to visit Holden’s Elizabeth plant in Adelaide to announce a $149 million investment from the Commonwealth government’s innovation fund for the green car. This will be used for the production of a new four-cylinder small car here in Australia. Holden produces 100,000 cars a year, exports cars to all continents and employs over 6,000 Australians. Those 6,000 jobs are important jobs. They are like the jobs in the retail sector that the government is supporting by other policy means. They are like the jobs in the housing and construction sector that the government is supporting by other policy means. It is something of which this government is proud. We have been out there in partnership with industry. Australia is one of only 15 countries in the world that can produce a car from scratch. That is why we have been in there, with our sleeves rolled up, working with industry when it counted to provide confidence for the industry at a time of unprecedented downturn. All those opposite can do is scoff, be negative, talk the economy down, talk the industry down, talk manufacturing down. I would suggest those opposite should change their tone.

In conclusion, let me quote Mark Reuss, the CEO and Chairman of GM Holden, who said today, in an extract from his press conference with the Senator Carr:

As an American and in Australia and watching this from afar I have worked in quite a few different places around the world and I, speaking on behalf of GM, have to say that we are absolutely fortunate to have a government that actually cares about manufacturing.

He went on to say:

Manufacturing things in an economy that is very, very robust compared with the rest of the world right now.

Good news again. Those opposite bury themselves in their papers. He goes on to say the following:

If you look at the other countries where auto makers are having problems, there are cash bailouts, there’s transfers of ownership, there’s all sorts of things happening at the very last minute. I feel like our partnership with the government here in Australia as an industry and as Holden—

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