Australian PM pledges to never abandon auto industry

[depakid]

Source: AFP

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd announced a 3.2 billion dollar (2.2 billion US) stimulus package for the automotive sector Monday, as he vowed to never abandon the industry. As Australian automakers suffer a downturn in sales and the prospect of thousands of lay-offs due to the global financial crisis, Rudd said he would support car manufacturers "because we believe this industry has a future".

The package goes beyond the 3.0 billion dollars already flagged by the government, bringing federal assistance to 6.2 billion dollars by 2021.

Rudd said higher petrol prices and competition from foreign manufacturers, combined with the fact that vehicle emissions contributed to the air pollution blamed for climate change, were stacked against automakers.

"Some might say it's not worth trying to have a car industry," he said as he launched the government's plan in Melbourne. "That is not my view. It is not the view of the Australian government and it never will be the view of any government which I lead.

Read more: http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5gXPYBbKVSnh3PhwzQiOQa3PJS5zQ

[Idealism]

1. isn't Aussie companies like Holden already owned by

the Big three?

[madrchsod]

2. holden is a general motors company

http://www.holden.com.au/www-holden/

some of the cars are based on the general motors world platform.

this is one i`d like to have

http://www.holden.com.au/www-holden/action/vehicleentry?vehicleid=15

holden has been making them for 60 yrs.

[depakid]

3. Utes are Aussie icons

More or less what tradesmen drve- who Australians will tell you, can earn fair wages for an honest day's work.

[freedomnorth]

4. Future until all oil is pumped, right? n/t.

[depakid]

5. Actually, there's an LPG infrastrucure already in place

but my guess is that the larger idea here is to keep (or better yet to start) making things rather than importing them, especially when one's country is running large current account deficits....