Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Marshall for his question. As a senator from Victoria, I know how much he appreciates the importance of the automotive industry. Ford Australia’s decision to keep its engine plant at Geelong open and to retool it to produce a new, greener engine is a direct consequence of the government’s new car plan. This decision will secure 400 jobs at Ford and 900 jobs in the components sector. That is a total of 1,300 high-quality, high-skilled, high-wage jobs for the Geelong region and beyond.

Some questioned whether the plan would generate new investment. They were wrong. The plan provides $3.4 billion for an Automotive Transformation Scheme that will drive investment in new capacity, new skills and new research and development. It provides $1.3 billion for the Green Car Innovation Fund. It provides important new support for the component sector.

There is one more thing that the plan provides, and you cannot put a dollar value on it. That is certainty. In times of crisis, certainty is a rare thing. It is priceless. This plan gives people the long-term policy framework they need to invest in the future. Ford has responded already with its decision to invest in Geelong. We have said all along that the industry would get nothing from the new car plan unless it was prepared to invest in itself. This is about partnership and mutual obligation. Ford’s decision is the kind of result you will get when a government is willing to roll up its sleeves and work with industry to create new opportunities, new capacity and new jobs. That is what this government has been doing.