Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

The point I was making was that what was happening with the global automotive industry at the time of course had its impacts on Australia as it did under the previous Labor government with the closures of Mitsubishi and of Ford and of course as it had under this government soon after we came to government in 2013. What I can tell you is that about 75 per cent of former auto supply chain companies remain in business today and 82 per cent of affected workers were able to secure other work.

One of the first acts of the coalition government was to get rid of Labor's $1.8 billion FBT hit on the car industry and to scrap the carbon tax, which was estimated to add up to $400 to the cost of every single vehicle manufactured in Australia. The government has helped support the transition of automotive businesses and workers through a range of programs: the $100 million advanced manufacturing fund, the $10 million automotive innovation labs and the $5 million Automotive Engineering Graduate Program. The Volvo truck factory in Wacol, Queensland was first established in 1972 and is a great example of adapting with the market. They employ more than 500 people. Axiom Precision Manufacturing in South Australia has also pivoted and adapted to the new market. Ford has more than 2,000 engineers, designers and specialists working across four different sites in Australia.

As the global economy changes and there is great uncertainty, our government has put in place the policies to ensure that Australia can remain competitive and we move on to manufacture and make things happen in Australia. The Make It Happen document released by the Minister for Industry shows our way forward for advanced manufacturing jobs in Australia. The Labor Party is stuck in an economic time warp. Only the coalition can be trusted to manage Australia's economy. (Time expired)

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