To Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane

What happened to Holden could happen to Toyota, meaning the death of the Australian car industry. Everyone knows the industry is under extreme pressure, largely because of the high Australian Dollar. But we should remember that every storm, no matter how bad, passes. Holden, numerous times, made it perfectly clear what they needed to get through this storm and that was a partnership with government.

That partnership wasn’t forthcoming from PM Abbott and that’s why this closure and the massive jobs and economic impacts it will bring is ultimately the fault of PM Abbott.

The only impediment to Holden continuing manufacturing was the lack of a clear, long term policy from the Abbott Government. Instead, the Abbott Government cut $500 million from car assistance and goaded the company into announcing a closure decision in a disgusting display of contempt for workers and a whole industry.

But the Australian Public needs to understand that unlike the Mitsubishi and Ford closures, the Holden decision was the result of a lack of support from the Government. It was effectively a Government decision to end a crucial and historic industry and at least 50,000 jobs. 

Don't make the same mistake again. Stop playing politics with the Australian auto industry and do the right thing for jobs by making an immediate commitment to put back the $500 million in the Automative Transformation Scheme, and to provide co-investment certainty to our auto sector so car manufacturing operations remain in Australia for the long haul before it's too late.