Support The Australian Motor Industry

The Prime Minister Of Australia,
The Right Honourable Tony Abbott,

We the undersigned, petition the Australian government, to take further steps to protect the Australian Motor Vehicle Industry.

Specifically, we ask that Government departments, at all levels, return to purchasing, ONLY Australian made vehicles. This would greatly increase volume of all Australian Vehicle Plants, and their component suppliers.

In the past few years, the Australian Government has signed multiple Free Trade Agreements, with other countries. An effect of these agreements has seen, better pricing for these vehicles manufactured in foreign plants. These countries are not taking any Australian built vehicles in any volume. This seems to have only increased sales, in Australia, for the plants operating in these foreign countries. These agreements have not proven to be a two way street.

The slowdown of volume for Australian plants, has also meant component suppliers are hurting, and in fact, many have been forced to shut their doors. If not for Holden and Ford joining forces to save Autodom Limited, there would now, be several hundred more Australian workers on the unemployment lines, claiming Newstart allowance.

In fact Holden, Ford and Toyota have all been forced to lay hundreds of their own employees off due to volume losses.

Another effect of this issue, of course, is the taxes the Government has not collected, due the income losses by the three vehicle manufacturers. These taxes are being collect by foreign governments on vehicles built overseas and then sold onto Australia.

The Australian Motor Vehicle Industry is our largest manufacturing industry, and our largest export earner, and needs to be protected to ensure its survival.
Australia is also one of the few countries in the world that can design and build, a complete motor vehicle from the ground up. We can’t afford to lose these skills. We can’t afford to lose this important industry. We can’t afford to lose these jobs.

Be the government that history records, as having the insight to save our industry, and not the one that let it collapse, and cost the jobs of tens of thousands of hard working Australians.