Subjects: Review of Australia's Automotive Industry, Review of the National Innovation System
CARR: Today the Government received the Bracks review into the Australian automotive industry. It is a comprehensive assessment of the future of the industry and the Government will now consider this report carefully, digest it, and together with my colleagues, we will make a response to that review in the next little while.
JOURNALIST: How is important is it that a vibrant automotive industry remain in Australia?
CARR: It is absolutely critical to Australia that we have a vibrant automotive industry, a sustainable automotive industry, an industry that continues to provide the capability to ensure that we have a reservoir of skilled labour performing highly technical work in some of our most advanced industries in the country.
It is the most advanced sector of manufacturing; it provides enormous spillover effects for every other aspect of manufacturing in Australia. It provides us with the capabilities to make sure that we can build fighter aircraft, that we can have a vibrant electronics industry, and in glass, and in steel and in rubber and in plastics. All of these things flow through from the Australian automotive industry. We are one of twelve or so countries in the world that can make a car from conception through to the showroom floor.
The question that will have to be answered is: does this country want to stay in that company of the twelve or so nations? I firmly believe that we should be, and together with my colleagues we will be assessing this report and determining which is the best way to ensure that this industry reinvents itself, is revitalised and maintains its sustainability.
JOURNALIST: When will the public see the report?
CARR: The public will see the report shortly. The Government will consider the report carefully. The industry is under acute pressure right around the world. We are seeking a partnership with the industry for it to move into a more green phase quickly. We don't just want to see a green car, we want to see a green industry in Australia. We expect they will be able to develop a significant transformation of the industry over the next short while.
JOURNALIST: Can you guarantee that the report won't be released during the Olympics?
CARR: No I can't guarantee when the report will be released other than to say to you that it will be released shortly. The Government wants to consider this report carefully, these are matters of incredible importance to Australia and we will not be making a knee jerk response to this report.
JOURNALIST: It sounds like that tariffs and Government support would be very important to remain in the industry?
CARR: The industry wants to be treated on the basis of a level playing field with other countries around the world. Now every other country of the twelve or so nations that I mentioned spends considerable sums of money working with their industry because those countries understand the importance of the car industry to their particular economies.
The Australian industry is no different. We want to see however that the industry is transformed because we can't go on the way we are at the moment and I would expect that these issues of the levels of tariff support, the levels of investment that's required to sustain the industry will be matters that the Government will consider very, very carefully.
JOURNALIST: The Cutler Review's Green Paper was supposed to be released today?
CARR: The Panel has been asked for a month's extension on that review, we've had over 700 submissions and the Panel is working through those submissions and I've granted that extension for a month.
Media Contact: Catriona Jackson, Minister's Office, 0417 142 238