Shadow Industry Minister Senator Kim Carr and Member for Isaacs Mark Dreyfus have today welcomed commitments from Nissan Australia to keep its casting and parts manufacturing plant in Australia well beyond 2020.
SENATOR KIM CARR
SHADOW MINISTER FOR HIGHER EDUCATION, RESEARCH, INNOVATION AND INDUSTRY
SENATOR FOR VICTORIA
THE HON MARK DREYFUS QC MP
SHADOW ATTORNEY GENERAL
SHADOW MINISTER FOR THE ARTS
MEMBER FOR ISAACS
MEDIA RELEASE
LABOR WELCOMES INVESTMENT FROM NISSAN IN AUSTRALIAN AUTO
Shadow Industry Minister Senator Kim Carr and Member for Isaacs Mark Dreyfus have today welcomed commitments from Nissan Australia to keep its casting and parts manufacturing plant in Australia well beyond 2020.
Reports today have confirmed that Nissan will continue to manufacture from its Dandenong South facility after it was decided the site would supply parts to 38 models internationally including the Nissan Leaf electric car which is currently touring Melbourne.
This commitment from Nissan demonstrates their confidence in the skills and expertise in Australia's auto industry. It is a huge vote of confidence from a major international investor.
Despite the efforts of the Abbott Government to drive auto investment and jobs offshore, Australia's auto industry remains a great repository of manufacturing capability and design skills.
These automotive jobs, skills and capabilities are what we must now strive to retain.
The Senate is currently holding an inquiry into the future of Australias automotive industry. Labor welcomes public debate on the future of the industry's size and the scope of its capabilities.
In Government, Labor co-investments of almost $4 million through the Green Car Innovation Fund and the Clean Technologies Food and Foundries Program enabled Nissan to win a global contract to manufacture complex powertrain castings for Nissans Leaf and make major upgrades to its facilities in Dandenong South to become more energy efficient.
Nissan's announcement demonstrates that when the right decisions are made and governments actually have a plan for the manufacturing industry as Labor did, firms like Nissan continue to thrive into the future.
The Liberals have noplan to create new jobs or ensure coordinated support is provided for the tens of thousands of workers who are currently employed directly and indirectly in vehicle manufacturing.
Labor will fight to keep high-skill high-wage automotive sector jobs in Australia and stop the Abbott Government sending them offshore.
TUESDAY, 21 APRIL 2015
