Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Acting Prime Minister. Holden has just now announced that it will close its doors in 2017. What happens to Holden workers now and others in the car industry?

Warren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

About 10 minutes before question time I spoke with the Chief Executive Officer of General Motors in Australia, Mike Devereux, and he informed me of the company's decision, made in Detroit, that they would be closing their operation, or a significant part of their operation, in Australia and New Zealand by the end of 2017. I did not speak about it earlier in the House because Mr Devereux is at this moment addressing his employees and I felt that the employees had a right to hear it from their own management rather than through the media or reporting of question time.

Naturally, like all members in the House, we regret the fact that GM is to phase down its operations in this country. Holden has been an iconic national brand for Australians, a part of our heritage.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Be quiet on my left. This is an important issue.

Warren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It has meant a great deal to Australians over several generations. Many of us have had the pleasure of travelling in and owning Australian-built Holdens, and it is a pity that that will not continue into the future. This government indicated right from the very beginning that we wanted Holden to remain manufacturing cars in Australia.

Opposition members interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There will be silence on my left.

Warren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We want to have a strong and active motor-vehicle-manufacturing industry in Australia. We, unlike Labor, do not believe that manufacturing ought to be yesterday's industry in this country. We want, in fact, to see a manufacturing sector that is strong, vibrant, and able to stand on its own feet and make significant contributions to Australia. That is part of the reason we acted to get rid of the fringe benefits tax impost that Labor had imposed. That is why we want to get rid of the carbon tax now so that car making can be more competitive in this country.

On this day, though, we are most concerned about the capacity of those who have been working in this industry—some 1,600 at the Elizabeth vehicle-manufacturing plant and 1,300 at the Holden Victoria plant—who will no longer be employed by that company sometime between now and 2017. The government stands ready to work constructively with General Motors to support these people through this difficult time. We will do what we can, with General Motors, to achieve the very best possible outcomes for these people.

Holden will still have a significant presence in Australia and we want to make sure that their dealers and their employees are supported through this transition. But this is a difficult day for Australians, particularly for the Holden employees. And we will stand with them to work constructively to make sure that they can transition into good jobs in other parts of our industry.