Ministerial Statement

AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier, Treasurer, Minister for State Development, Minister for the Public Sector, Minister for the Arts) (14:04): I seek leave to make a ministerial statement.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: The current uncertainty surrounding the future of the car industry in South Australia is the most pressing economic issue facing our state. Last sitting week I was joined by members from across the chamber on the steps of Parliament House to launch the government's More Than Cars campaign. This campaign is a community push to raise awareness of the importance of securing the future of the nation's car industry.

In under two weeks, more than 2,700 people have signed up to the More Than Cars website to show their support for national investment in our local car industry. We have been to workplaces, in the Rundle Mall and at shopping centres, encouraging South Australians to show their support. I have also briefed local car components suppliers on the progress of the campaign and received their support.

Since the last sitting week, ACIL Allen Consulting group has released a report which found that the closure of the car industry would wipe $7.3 billion from Australia's gross domestic product by 2018. The report also states that the economies of Adelaide and Melbourne would face a reduction in their gross regional product of up to 1.4 per cent and it is likely that gross regional product will be lower than current levels until the end of 2031.

The report estimates that Melbourne would lose 33,000 jobs by 2018, in addition to around 6,600 jobs lost in Adelaide. Even when these jobs return, by the second half of the 2020s, they would be jobs with lower real wages. The ACIL Allen report echoes the local work done by Barry Burgan and John Spoehr that found that up to 13,000 jobs might be lost from South Australia if the industry closed.

This is a problem of a national scale. It needs a national solution. On Friday, I have been invited to Victoria to address the national conference of automotive component makers from across the country and seek their support for our campaign. This will be the first part of rolling out the More Than Cars campaign across the country to build a national consensus in favour of investment in the car industry.

Before I meet with them, I want to be able to present the bipartisan support of everyone in this place for national investment in the car industry. That is why this Thursday, the government will be moving a motion which will make crystal clear this house's support for national investment in the car industry and the urgency of resolving this issue in the interests of all South Australians.

Mrs Redmond interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Heysen is called to order.