Kate Lundy (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting for Industry and Innovation) Share this | Hansard source

The government appreciates that the past few weeks have been very tough for Ford workers and their families. The auto industry has been under economic pressure caused by a high Australian dollar and increased competition from overseas. Labor understands that a modern economy needs a strong and viable manufacturing sector. The automotive industry is an integral part of this, and that is why the Gillard government is providing no less than $5.4 billion to the auto sector under our new car plan.

There are 46,000 workers directly employed in the automotive sector, which supports another 200,000 jobs. It trains the engineers, pays for the machinery and drives the breakthrough innovations we need to help all manufacturing industries compete. So, rather than throwing up our hands and saying that these challenges are all too hard, we are committed to acting. We are working with the industry to respond to the current pressures to help the industry restructure and be sustainable in the future.

The government is creating an environment that supports job creation. It is what Labor has done since coming to office. It is what we have always done when faced with challenges. We did it in the global financial crisis and we are doing it now. A strong economy is good for all Australian workers. A successful auto industry creates skilled jobs, drives high-level research and supports innovation across manufacturing. It is only Labor that is committed to a sustainable future for the automotive sector and only Labor that is providing the certainty that it needs for the future.