Nick Champion (Spence, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Holden had a win at the Bathurst 1000 last weekend, the last time a Holden factory team will appear at the race. One of the winning drivers, Garth Tander, said it was 'a sad end to a fantastic brand.' Does the government regret forcing the Holden plant in Elizabeth to shut its doors three years ago today?

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

That indeed was a sad day for Australia. Holden announced its decision in December 2013, but it said it was due to the competitive pressures of the global automotive market. And Holden said at the time it would be wrong to simply attribute it to the action or inaction on the part of the government. That was the statement by Holden. They said that in December 2013. That was the Holden plant, but it seems to have escaped the notice of those opposite that Mitsubishi announced its intention to stop local manufacturing in February of 2008. Ford announced its intention to stop local manufacturing in May of 2013.

The reason Australians don't trust Labor on the economy is that they know that Labor doesn't understand the economy. If you can't work out—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Prime Minister will resume his seat. The Manager of Opposition Business on a point of order?

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for the Arts) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On direct relevance: this did not ask about alternative policies. The Prime Minister is now going into a general spray because he can't answer a question for three minutes.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Manager of Opposition Business will resume his seat. Members on my right will cease interjecting. While the Prime Minister was on the topic of the automotive industry, he was in order. I just point that out to him.

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to 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)