Fri, 27th June 2008

South Pacific Tyres

Senator the Hon Eric Abetz
Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate
Shadow Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research

The closure of South Pacific Tyres is an extremely sad day for the 600 affected employees.

I trust the Government will work with the company and unions to ensure that these workers are assisted through this very difficult time.

I note that like Mitsubishi and Holden before it, who have also closed since the election of the Rudd Labor Government, South Pacific Tyres has indicated that further government assistance would simply have made no difference.

But when in Opposition, Kevin Rudd and Kim Carr consistently and dishonestly insisted these type of jobs losses were the Coalition’s fault.

Labor has misled the people of Australia with its promises on this issue, just as it did with petrol prices, grocery prices and general cost of living pressures.