Greg Combet (Charlton, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change, Industry and Innovation) Share this | Hansard source

General Motors Holden have made this position extremely clear in the comments that they have been making over the last week or so—that is, that, if the coalition's cuts to assistance to motor vehicle manufacturing were put into place, Holden would cease manufacturing in this country. That puts thousands of people's jobs at risk under the coalition's policy. It is clear and unequivocal. Over $1 billion of investment by General Motors in their Australian operations has been put at risk because of that coalition policy. That means job security is undermined and now pay cuts are on the agenda.

That is the coalition's policy in action: funding cuts, job cuts, pay cuts, slashing funding, smashing jobs and destroying job security. That is the coalition. That is what we have learned from coalition governments in the past. I had plenty of experience of it in my former work as a union official. The coalition always cuts funds, cuts jobs and slashes pay. That is what you are doing in the auto manufacturing sector in this country with your policy. You should rip it up, chuck it out and do the right thing. (Time expired)

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