Future still unsure for car industry
When Tony Abbott was elected he said he wanted to be Prime Minister of a country that makes things, but that didn’t necessarily mean propping up the car industry. Holden was promised $275 million by the Labor government last year but the Coalition had pledged to cut assistance to the industry. But negotiations are back on as Industry Minister Ian McFarlane toured the Holden plant in Adelaide today.
Four hundred Holden workers took redundancies at the Elizabeth plant two months ago, and the remaining 1700 voted to accept a three year pay freeze after the company said they would be forced to close without government assistance. Ian McFarlane says he is open to discussion, but can’t meet the time frame set by Holden, and wants their export figures to double.