Steve Irons (Swan, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I wish to continue with my remarks from my speech this morning on the impact of the previous government's FBT announcement on the Victoria Park motor vehicle trading hub, by making some further general points about the car industry in Australia and the car industry in my electorate.

I get the impression that some people at the local council level would like to see the car industry in Victoria Park move on. I reject this. The car industry is a fantastic part of our local economy, and if we want to see this area continue to thrive, employ people and attract people to Victoria Park we need to support the car trade industry as part of the diversified local economy.

Victoria Park should be a centre for small business. It can be a restaurant hub. It can be a centre for junior sport and elite sport, with a new stadium and an AFL training base going into Victoria Park. It can and should have a thriving motor vehicle trading centre as it has a long and rich history of that. That is a positive plan for Victoria Park and that is what I and the Liberals will continue to campaign on at a state and federal level.

There has been some talk recently about the decline of the car manufacturing industry in the eastern states and particularly the merits or otherwise of import tariffs into the future. This industry was always protected when it first evolved, due to factors surrounding the need to be ready for any wars that eventuated. The need for protection is now long gone and, with the decline of the motor vehicle manufacturing industry, I would support a move to look at the tariff reductions that have been in place to protect the industry as and when it is no longer required.

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