Sarah Henderson (Corangamite, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to celebrate a major win for Geelong and our manufacturing future. BAE Systems' lead partner on the Land 400 project, Marand, is in advanced negotiations with Ford Australia to base its Land 400 operations at Ford's site in North Geelong. These include negotiations to acquire part of the historic Ford factory. If BAE wins the $5 billion Land 400 tender to supply and maintain 225 armed combat vehicles to the Australian Army, Marand will bring vehicle manufacturing back to Geelong, producing the turret shell as well as the hull of the AMV35. This is a very significant win for local jobs. I say thank you very much to Marand.

In contrast to local Labor MPs—including the member for Corio, who gave up on our city and did not fight for these Land 400 jobs, even when the Victorian government regretfully located its Land 400 bid at Fishermans Bend as a condition of financial support—I did not give up the fight. The member for Corio should really be ashamed that he could not put politics to one side and join me in this fight. I thank my Victorian coalition parliamentary colleagues, who have been such strong advocates for this important project to bring Land 400 to Victoria, Australia's premier manufacturing state.

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