James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

The government is developing its response to the Senate inquiry. The report contains 20 wide-ranging recommendations that cut across the responsibilities of five portfolios. The government expects to respond to the report in the near term. In their dissenting report, government senators supported further work in relation to a number of recommendations, in order to give the vehicle and component makers certainty to cope with the decline in production and volumes. Government senators oppose changes to the Automotive Transformation Scheme in order to ensure an orderly transition of the automotive sector post 2017. For this reason, the government will maintain the scheme in its original form, as legislated, until that time. Firms that undertake eligible Automotive Transformation Scheme activities, excluding on the export side of their businesses, can continue to apply the funding during this period.

Question agreed to.